Tradewinds Installment 1: What the Chandler Reversal Tells Us About the Current Climate

So far the biggest news of the trade season hasn’t been a deal, but the revocation of a deal. Yesterday, the Thunder kicked the tires of big man Tyson Chandler and decided he wasn’t up to par.↵
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↵This now reversed trade was significant not only because Chandler’s addition was expected to majorly augment the Thunder, or possibly gut the Hornets, but in what it told us about the way player movement might work in this new economy. More precisely, as Kevin Pelton noted at Basketball Prospectus, it allowed a team no one wants to play for to add, in essence, a major free agent ahead of the deadline. ↵
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↵No specific reason was given for OKC’s rejection of Chandler, but I’d venture a guess that (get used to this) in this economy, the bar is considerably lower than, say, a year ago. Yes, OKC had expiring assets to burn, and wanted to make this kind of splash. But with money more precious than ever, the last thing a micro-market team would want is someone who even posed the threat of being constantly injured. You know something’s changed in the NBA when the Thunder are getting picky about landing Tyson Chandler.↵
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↵It does make perfect sense, though: This is their one big move for foreseeable future, and teams just can’t shrug their shoulders, grin and bear injuries, and wait for the future to begin like they used to. Especially when this particular franchise has to already be thinking about the countdown toward Durant and Green’s impending departure. Best case, the front office can discourage this; more likely, they have to make the most of the two while they can.↵