Chandler had surgery on his left toe shortly after the 2006-07 season and injured it again in April 2008 in New Orleans' regular-season finale at Dallas. He then reinjured it during the Hornets' second-round series against San Antonio, complaining of "turf toe" after he bent the toe backwards by stepping on Ime Udoka's foot. Chandler was named as a Team USA alternate in July and invited to a pre-Olympic training camp but had to pull out because of the ongoing toe trouble.

After examining Chandler's left big toe, Dr. Carlan Yates, Oklahoma City's team physician, determined that the risk of reinjury was too great to give Chandler a clean bill of health. He therefore advised the Thunder to rescind Tuesday's trade that landed them Chandler for Joe Smith, Chris Wilcox and the rights to DeVon Hardin.

"This is absolutely crazy," Chandler said in a telephone conversation Wednesday night. "I'm super shocked. This is nuts."

Chandler, 26, was baffled by Yates' ruling in part because Yates performed surgery on Chandler's big left toe in April of 2007 when the Hornets were playing in Oklahoma City. Chandler played 79 games the following season and while he's missed 19 games this season, none has been because of his toe.

"He said he doesn't know how long I'll last," Chandler said in reference to Yates. "He told me, 'I have no doubt you can play on it. I'm just saying it could take a turn for the worse if you come down on somebody's foot or hyperextend it or something.'"

Chandler was bothered by the toe in last season's playoffs and withdrew from Team USA over the summer.

While Chandler, who said he feels no pain in the toe, was disturbed by the Thunder's decision,

He really doesn't seem to have any other serious health issues. My guess is that as time passed his toe could have strengthened. He did play 74 games and was an impact player in the playoffs. My guess is that the guy is fine. There's risk with any player really. There's only the illusion of good health!!! Any player at any time can have a serious injury in a contact sport. I think it's a good risk to take. High risk. HIGH REWARD!

MSG3 wrote:

MS wrote:Would have been nice to just have the cap space to sign him this offseason and have the following team

Felton-Fields-Gallo-Amare-Chandler with a bench of Douglas, Iman, AR, Moz etc.

I don't sign a guy for 60MM who played well in a contract year. He played 45, 51 games the season prior to last. He averaged 1.1blks a game and has zero offensive game to speak of. We obviously need a guy like him and they don't grow on trees, but too risky

That team is a 5 or 6 seed with no hope of advancing past the 2nd round.

uh, what? melo, amar'e and tyson chandler are the best front court in the NBA. frontcourts win championships.

martin wrote:

Childs2Dudley wrote:

NYKBocker wrote:

LandarryFieldsForever wrote:

martin wrote:

Childs2Dudley wrote:This board is going mad....really..it is...

The day when Anubis is the only that agrees with me (and he is a former Isiah fan) is the day I need to question what everyone else is thinking.

which C do you propose the Knicks pursue? Who plays defense behind Amare and Melo?

Dalembert.

You have to be kidding. Dalembert just oozes lazy.

That's funny, because that was a label Tyson Chandler used to carry around before last season.

didn't discourage Dallas, who just won a chip with him.

Yes, Tyson Chandler was the main reason they won a championship. Give me a break. You're overstating Chandler's role on the team.

Why are you conveniently forgetting that the Bobcats and Hornets were practically giving this guy away the last years? The Mavs traded Matt Carroll and Diop to get him. He's never even averaged double figures in his career.

What is so special about this guy, besides being part of a title team with the Mavs?

Silverfuel wrote:****ers want to trade amare for CP3!?! WTF? AMARE!?

A big for small?

Not a good idea.

Get another "felton" that is right for the system.

Lets make our own "stars"!

crzymdups wrote:

Childs2Dudley wrote:Yes, Tyson Chandler was the main reason they won a championship. Give me a break. You're overstating Chandler's role on the team.

Why are you conveniently forgetting that the Bobcats and Hornets were practically giving this guy away the last years? The Mavs traded Matt Carroll and Diop to get him. He's never even averaged double figures in his career.

What is so special about this guy, besides being part of a title team with the Mavs?

i've coveted Chandler since his days on the Bulls. i love his fire. he reminds me of Camby.

Camby > Chandler as a basketball player. Camby can shoot and Chandler cant. Too bad Camby is Mr Glass.

Childs2Dudley wrote:

martin wrote:

Childs2Dudley wrote:

NYKBocker wrote:

LandarryFieldsForever wrote:

martin wrote:

Childs2Dudley wrote:This board is going mad....really..it is...

The day when Anubis is the only that agrees with me (and he is a former Isiah fan) is the day I need to question what everyone else is thinking.

which C do you propose the Knicks pursue? Who plays defense behind Amare and Melo?

Dalembert.

You have to be kidding. Dalembert just oozes lazy.

That's funny, because that was a label Tyson Chandler used to carry around before last season.

didn't discourage Dallas, who just won a chip with him.

Yes, Tyson Chandler was the main reason they won a championship. Give me a break. You're overstating Chandler's role on the team.

Why are you conveniently forgetting that the Bobcats and Hornets were practically giving this guy away the last years? The Mavs traded Matt Carroll and Diop to get him. He's never even averaged double figures in his career.

What is so special about this guy, besides being part of a title team with the Mavs?

You're wrong dude. Dirk was obviously the biggest reason for the Dallas title. You can make a case for Chandler or Terry being the 2nd most important pieces. The teams that traded him away weren't going anywhere. And the only reason Dallas is willing to see him go is for cap space to go out and get Deron or Dwight.

Childs2Dudley wrote:

martin wrote:

Childs2Dudley wrote:

NYKBocker wrote:

LandarryFieldsForever wrote:

martin wrote:

Childs2Dudley wrote:This board is going mad....really..it is...

The day when Anubis is the only that agrees with me (and he is a former Isiah fan) is the day I need to question what everyone else is thinking.

which C do you propose the Knicks pursue? Who plays defense behind Amare and Melo?

Dalembert.

You have to be kidding. Dalembert just oozes lazy.

That's funny, because that was a label Tyson Chandler used to carry around before last season.

didn't discourage Dallas, who just won a chip with him.

Yes, Tyson Chandler was the main reason they won a championship. Give me a break. You're overstating Chandler's role on the team.

Why are you conveniently forgetting that the Bobcats and Hornets were practically giving this guy away the last years? The Mavs traded Matt Carroll and Diop to get him. He's never even averaged double figures in his career.

What is so special about this guy, besides being part of a title team with the Mavs?

I did not claim that Chandler was the main reason they won a championship. No need to try to put words in my posts.

But I will say that he was the final piece to that puzzle.

At $13-14M it is overpaying Tyson, but when you have the last final piece who also compliments your main guys, you do it every time.

Did Boston overpay for Garnett? Perhaps. But worth it.

And NY is only overpaying in $ not assets (players or picks). Big difference between the 2.

fishmike wrote:

crzymdups wrote:

Childs2Dudley wrote:This is equivalent to giving Jerome James $6 million a season.

why? it protects amar'e. it makes amar'e and melo's offense that much more valuable. i think it's a fantastic move.

oh boy this is a no brainer. crzy is 100% right.

Tyson Chandler is the 2nd best defensive player in the NBA, and the most athletic big around. Yes, he's very limited offensively but in a frontcourt w/ Melo and Amare I see that as a positive. He can do nothing on offense but follow guys to the rim for cleanup dunks and boards.

On the surface you put an ELITE athletic defensive player in the frontcourt w/ Amare and Melo and their value increases as well.

If you take CP3 out of the equation I cant think of a better way to make the Knicks elite than add a great defensive presense at center. A true 7 footer with elite NBA defensive skills.

In a vacuum this is a great move. If the Knicks are bailing on the CP3 chase thats a bit tougher to stomach.

I have to say - I think somehow this move means they are all in on CP3. I don't know how, but I wouldn't have been able to predict a trade of Billups for Tyson.

Childs2Dudley wrote:

martin wrote:

Childs2Dudley wrote:

NYKBocker wrote:

LandarryFieldsForever wrote:

martin wrote:

Childs2Dudley wrote:This board is going mad....really..it is...

The day when Anubis is the only that agrees with me (and he is a former Isiah fan) is the day I need to question what everyone else is thinking.

which C do you propose the Knicks pursue? Who plays defense behind Amare and Melo?

Dalembert.

You have to be kidding. Dalembert just oozes lazy.

That's funny, because that was a label Tyson Chandler used to carry around before last season.

didn't discourage Dallas, who just won a chip with him.

Yes, Tyson Chandler was the main reason they won a championship. Give me a break. You're overstating Chandler's role on the team.

Why are you conveniently forgetting that the Bobcats and Hornets were practically giving this guy away the last years? The Mavs traded Matt Carroll and Diop to get him. He's never even averaged double figures in his career.

What is so special about this guy, besides being part of a title team with the Mavs?

Quotes from Dirk Diggler...

"Tyson, to me, turned everything around this summer when we signed him," Dirk Nowitzki said Tuesday. "I think he came off a two-year injury and we didn't really know what to expect. But looking back now, that was almost the key signing. His positive energy, his defense I think is really what turned this whole thing around and what really won us the playoffs. Every big game down the stretch we did it with defense."

"Obviously we'd like to get a deal done with Tyson and keep him for the long run," Nowitzki said. "I never played with a center that's as athletic and as quick and able to cover that much ground and play with his energy. He was a pleasure to play with."

Quotes from Tyson Chandler...

Despite not having a contract past the end of the season, Chandler admitted that he never thought about his future during the championship run.

"It was easy to put off because that's selfish," he said. "That's an individual act and I'm all about team. I wasn't going to let my team down by shifting my focus in any way but the floor.

"My goal was to bring a title to this city and to my teammates. And that's always been my focus. Not once have I thought about free agency this entire year."

How can you not like this guy?