Los Angeles Lakers big man Tyson Chandler has been effective for LeBron James and his squad in the short amount of time the two sides have been together. Chandler started the season with the Phoenix Suns, but received the classic veteran buyout early in the year and joined a playoff hopeful team in California.
As Chandler tells the story, he almost didn’t sign with the Lakers. According to a report from The Athletic’s Sam Amick, Chandler says that he could have signed with the Golden State Warriors save for one factor.
DeMarcus Cousins.
Via The Athletic:“I just love the style of play that they play with, and so I heavily considered that and I asked them if they would like me there, and they said ‘Yeah.’”
“They also were completely honest, and said (how) DeMarcus is coming off injury and we don’t know what that playing time is going to be like once he gets back. And so for me, it became (a question of), ‘Where would I make the most impact?’ Do I want to go there and — back-to-back champs — just a well-oiled machine, be one of the guys, maybe be that vet on the bench after DeMarcus comes back?
“Or do I want to come to the Lakers, where they were teeter-tottering a little bit, struggling at the time, but I’d seen it coming alive, and I’ve always loved the draft picks and the young players that they had here, and then ‘Bron coming here, and then (Rajon) Rondo, and then having those vets? I’m like, let me go ahead and hop in that dogfight.”
Would the Warriors have benefited from adding Chandler? Almost certainly. The 36-year-old still has some gas left in the tank, and Chandler would have provided at least some benefit simply by subtracting his talents from other Western Conference foes by signing in the Bay.
We still don’t know what kind of impact Cousins will have when he returns, but things are looking good for the former superstar as he comes back from an Achilles injury. No doubt Golden State will be just as happy if he can come back and contribute as they would have been with Chandler.
