New York Knicks: When Tyson Chandler arrived after the lockout

The latest edition of New York Knicks Trade History looks at the 2011 acquisition of Tyson Chandler, who was involved in a sign-and-trade.

A lockout shortened the 2011-12 NBA season and led it to start at a later date, which set back transactions. Once the labor negotiations ended, the New York Knicks were involved in one of the higher-profile transactions of the offseason.

Working with the NBA champion Mavericks, the Knicks acquired Tyson Chandler in a multi-team sign-and-trade in December 2011.

What the Knicks traded

To work this multi-player deal, the Knicks sent Ronny Turiaf and a 2013 second-round pick, which became Arsalan Kazemi, to the Washington Wizards. He suited up for just four games in the 2012 season.

Andy Rautins went to Dallas as another part of this transaction. He played just five games for New York before that and never appeared in a game in a different NBA uniform.

What the Knicks acquired

The haul of the deal, of course, was Chandler, who arrived after watching his stock soar as the defensive anchor for the Mavericks in the 2011 NBA playoffs. Dallas defeated the Miami Heat in six games to win the NBA Finals.

Already having Carmelo Anthony and a yet-to-be-deterred Amar’e Stoudemire, the Knicks had a solid group to contest for a spot in the middle of the Eastern Conference. The Heat’s “Big 3” were still ahead, though, which offered challenges for teams from 2010-14.

Chandler spent three seasons with the Knicks, where he continued as a defensive juggernaut under the hoop, averaging 10.2 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. An NBA Defensive Player of the Year award followed him in 2012 for the work done protecting the paint.

Injuries were worrisome in the seven-footer’s Knicks days. He missed at least 16 games in each season, including 27 in 2013-14, which became his final season in New York.

However, he still made one All-Star team and contributed to two playoff teams. Phil Jackson‘s takeover of the front office led to his departure after a missed postseason in 2014, making another one-year return to Dallas.

Ahman Nivins and Georgios Printezis also arrived in the trade, but they were nothing more than throw-ins. Neither player appeared in an NBA game.

This trade worked out for the Knicks, even though championships did not follow with the core Chandler was part of. His three seasons held down the defense and contributed to some of the franchise’s most recent, successful years.