Ford Center in Oklahoma
Yesterday, the New Orleans Hornets traded Tyson Chandler to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Chris Wilcox and Joe Smith to clear cap space and add depth to the frontcourt. Thunder medical staff, however, did not medically clear Chandler on Wednesday and therefore rescinded the trade.
“We welcome Tyson back with open arms,” Hornets general manager Jeff Bower said in a statement. “We went into this trade to garner more frontcourt depth to add to our team as we continue our push towards the playoffs. We expect Tyson and the rest of our big guys to step up to the challenge.”
No specific reason was given as to why Chandler did not pass the physical, but he missed the Hornets’ last 12 games before the All-Star break because of a sprained left ankle.
“We were pleased to add Tyson to the Thunder roster,” general manager Sam Presti said. “During the course of the physical examination and outside consultations some questions arose that gave us cause for concern. We felt that this course of action was the best for our organization.”
