Done Deal: Knicks Send Felton, Chandler To Mavericks
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Phil Jackson is wasting no time.
Free agency hasn't even begun yet, yet the Knicks' president is cleaning house.
The Knicks traded center Tyson Chandler and point guard Raymond Felton to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday for point guard Jose Calderon, center Samuel Dalembert, point guard Shane Larkin, reserve guard Wayne Ellington and two second-round picks in the upcoming NBA Draft.
The picks were No. 34 and No. 51.
"The journey to build this team for the upcoming season and beyond continues,'' Jackson said. "We have added players with this move that will fit right in to our system while maintaining future flexibility.''
Chandler has one year remaining on his contract and is owed $14.6 million. Felton, who will plead guilty in his felony gun-possession case to avoid jail time, is owed $4.4 million next season and $4.5 million in 2015-16.
Chandler and Felton are both coming off down years. Chandler, the former league defensive player of the year, averaged 8.7 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 30.2 minutes spanning 55 games.
Felton averaged a career-low 9.7 points and 5.6 assists. He missed 17 games.
Chandler was the emotional catalyst for the Dirk Nowitzki-led Mavericks when they beat the Miami Heat in six games to win the franchise's first title in 2011.
Aside from getting coveted PG Larkin, Knicks dump Felton's contract and shave about $7m off '14-'15 books with deal.
— Ken Berger (@KBergNBA) June 25, 2014
For Dalembert, only $1.8m of his $3.9m salary for '14-'15 is guaranteed. He could be bought out to create more room.
— Ken Berger (@KBergNBA) June 25, 2014
The prized piece of the reported trade, from the Knicks' perspective, is Calderon. The 32-year-old averaged 11.4 points and 4.7 assists is 81 games in 2013-14. Larkin, a first-round pick in last year's draft, averaged 2.8 points in 10.2 minutes.
Prior to the trade, the Knicks didn't have any picks in this week's draft.
New York is hoping to keep Carmelo Anthony despite the star forward planning to opt out of his contract and become a free agent on July 1. The Mavericks are reportedly on a short list of new destinations Anthony will also consider.
Nowitzki will join Anthony in free agency, but he is expected to re-sign with the Mavericks.
The Knicks are coming off a campaign in which they missed the postseason, finishing a disappointing 37-45. Dallas went 49-33 but lost to the eventual-champion San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs.
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