PORTLAND, Ore. _ The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to sign Tyson Chandler once he clears waivers, sources said Saturday, after Chandler reached an agreement for a buyout with the Phoenix Suns that will allow him to become a free agent.
Chandler, 36, has averaged 8.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 18 seasons. The 7-foot-1 center from Dominguez High in Compton went straight from high school to the NBA as the No. 2 overall pick in 2001 by the Los Angeles Clippers, who traded him to Chicago in the Elton Brand deal.
Chandler spent five seasons with the Bulls before moving on to New Orleans, Charlotte, Dallas, New York and Dallas again before signing with the Suns in 2015. Chandler is in the fourth year of a contract that would have paid him $13.5 million this year. He averaged 3.7 points and 5.6 rebounds in seven games.
His addition would help the Lakers who are in desperate need of depth at center. They have relied heavily on JaVale McGee, who has averaged 27.1 minutes per game. It has been seven years since McGee averaged 20 or more minutes. In his previous two seasons, he averaged fewer than 10.
"The coaches that I had talked to about JaVale kind of said you got to just watch his minutes because he's really good for five straight, but you got to just get him some rest type of thing," Coach Luke Walton said. "And he played 36 for us last game and was one of our best players, if not our best player on the court, as far as the way he protected our rim and rebounded the ball. So, he's been as valuable as anyone on this team so far."
McGee came up big Saturday with 12 points, nine rebounds and six blocks in a 114-110 win at Portland.
After McGee, the Lakers have used more unorthodox players at center. Kyle Kuzma, LeBron James and Johnathan Williams, who is on a two-way deal, all have filled in the backup center role.
"Today's game isn't your traditional game where you have this big bruiser," Walton said. "Some teams do, most teams don't. They space the floor. The center position is, depending on who we play, it's going to be a different person. We've had nice efforts from all these guys at different times."
