Wed, Jun 25, 2014 at 2:26am

MAVS BRING BACK CHANDLER, NY GETS CALDERON IN 6-PLAYER SWAP

The Dallas Mavericks acquired center Tyson Chandler and point guard Raymond Felton from the New York Knicks for point guard Jose Calderon, point guard Shane Larkin, center Samuel Dalembert, shooting guard Wayne Ellington, and two 2nd-round picks in 2014 (Nos. 34 and 51 overall).

What does it give the Dallas Mavericks
After winning the 2011 NBA title with Chandler manning the middle, Dallas surprisingly let him leave for New York. Since then the mostly-aging Mavs have struggled to contend, as Chandler provided the defensive anchor needed to win in the playoffs and in the big, tough Western Conference. Clearly the Mavs are rectifying the situation by bringing him back here, and this move should indeed make them a true contender again. Felton is a downgrade from the efficient Calderon but may turn things around with the change of scenery.

What does it give the New York Knicks
New York saves some money here by unloading the contracts of Chandler and Felton, but this deal also raises question marks about the Knicks' short-term future. Chandler was a key player for them, and with him gone they won't be as competitive (even if superstar {P=901 Carmelo Anthony} re-signs). Newcomer Dalembert is a solid starter for spurts, but he's not the elite post defender Chandler is. Meanwhile Calderon is an underrated offensive catalyst (and an upgrade over Felton), and Larkin may prove the steal of this deal (and should be New York's starter in a couple of years). Ellington seems a throw-in for salary-matching purposes.

Fantasy impact
Chandler is a great defensive stopper but not a great fantasy option, so his value doesn't change much as a result of this deal. Neither does the value of Calderon, who simply produces solidly with every team he suits up for. The one player worth monitoring in this deal next season is Felton, who has a chance to begin again in Dallas and may re-discover his offensive mojo (assuming he can hold off the equally inconsistent {P Devin Harris} as Big D's starter). Larkin gets a minor long-term / keeper boost (since he'll be playing for a less established team). We don't see much change at all for Dalembert or Ellington, but look for New York's {P Andrea Bargnani} to possibly get back on track a bit with former Raptors teammate Calderon once again getting him the ball.