Photo by Greg Ma
The New Orleans Hornets and Oklahoma City Thunder have completed a deal that sends center Tyson Chandler to the Thunder. The Hornets received forwards Joe Smith and Chris Wilcox, both of whom possess expiring contracts, in exchange for their best interior defender.
With a payroll at nearly $67 million this season and scheduled to reach almost $77 million next season, New Orleans had to part ways with Chandler in order to avoid luxury tax implications. Unfortunately, dealing away the 26-year-old center almost certainly takes the Hornets out of serious playoff contention in the West.
The Hornets were unable to generate enough trade interest in Peja Stojakovic and they are unwilling to part ways with either Chris Paul or David West. As a result, the organization was left with no other choice than to pull the trigger on the trade. Chandler has the right to become a free agent after the 2009-10 season in the unlikely event that he chooses to walk away from his $13.2 million salary in 2010-11.