Tyson Chandler

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This Date in Knicks History: May 13

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(2012) Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler bring home gold, as Team USA defeats Spain 107-100 in the gold medal game at the Olympic games in London, England.

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This Date in Knicks History: August 12

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NEW YORK, June 25, 2014 – New York Knickerbockers President Phil Jackson announced today that the team has acquired guards Jose Calderon, Wayne Ellington and Shane Larkin, center Samuel Dalembert and two second-round selections in the 2014 NBA Draft (34th &amp; 51st overall) from Dallas in exchange for guard Raymond Felton and center Tyson Chandler.

“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.

“We would like to thank Raymond and Tyson for their time and hard work with the organization over the past few years.”

Calderon, 6-3, 211-pounds, holds career averages of 10.2 points, on 47.9-percent shooting from the floor and 41.1-percent from three-point range, and 6.8 assists in 634 games (432 starts) over nine seasons with Toronto, Detroit and Dallas. He ranked in the top five on the NBA assist list in four of the last seven seasons and set a single-season NBA record by shooting 98.1-percent (151-154) from the free throw line in 2008-09 with the Raptors. This past season for the Mavericks, he averaged 11.4 points and 4.7 assists and hit a career high 191 three pointers (seventh in NBA) over 30.5 minutes in 81 games (all starts).

The 32-year-old Villanueva de la Serena, Spain-native played six seasons in the Spanish professional leagues before signing with Toronto on Aug. 3, 2005. His illustrious career with the Spanish national team includes winning Silver Olympic medals at the 2008 games in Beijing and 2012 games in London, and was a member of the 2006 FIBA World Championship team.

Dalembert, 6-11, 250-pounds, holds career averages of 7.8 points, on 52.3-percent shooting, 7.9 rebounds and 1.76 blocks over 24.7 minutes in 854 games (673 starts) in 12 NBA seasons with Philadelphia, Sacramento, Houston, Milwaukee and Dallas. He has ranked in the top 10 in total blocked shots in seven of the those 12 seasons. This past season, the 33-year-old averaged 7.8 points, on a career-best 56.8-percent shooting, 6.8 rebounds and 1.18 blocks over 20.2 minutes in 80 games (68 starts) with Dallas. The Port-au-Prince, Haiti-native, who played two seasons at Seton Hall University (NJ), was originally selected by Philadelphia in first round (26th overall) of 2001 NBA Draft.

Ellington, 6-4, 200-pounds, holds career averages of 6.4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists over 17.9 minutes in 312 games (35 starts) over five NBA seasons with Minnesota, Memphis, Cleveland and Dallas and averaged 3.2 points over 8.7 minutes in 45 games (one start) for the Mavericks this past season. He was originally selected by Minnesota following his junior season at the University of North Carolina in first round (28th overall) of the 2009 NBA Draft.

Larkin, 5-11, 176-pounds, was selected by Atlanta following his sophomore season at the University of Miami in first round (18th overall) of the 2013 NBA Draft before his draft rights were traded to Dallas. As a rookie, he averaged 2.8 points and 1.5 assists over 10.2 minutes in 48 games for Dallas and 15.3 points, 8.3 assists and 5.3 rebounds over 35.7 minutes in four games for the Texas Legends of NBA Development League this past season. At the University of Miami, he led the Hurricanes to the 2013 regular-season and post-season ACC Titles and on to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament, while being named Lute Olson National Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year and an AP second team All-American. He is the son of MLB Hall of Famer Barry Larkin.

Chandler, 7-1, 245-pounds, averaged 8.7 points, on 59.3-percent shooting, 9.6 rebounds and 1.15 blocks over 30.2 minutes in 55 games (all starts) this past season. He was acquired from Dallas, via a sign-and-trade, in a three-team deal on Dec. 10, 2011 and finishes his Knicks career as its all-time leader in field goal percentage (.638) in 183 games. In the orange and blue, the Hanford, CA-native, was selected to the NBA All-Defensive Team twice and as a reserve for the Eastern Conference at the 2013 NBA All-Star game. He was named the 2012 NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Felton, 6-1, 205-pounds, averaged 9.7 points, 5.6 assists and 3.0 rebounds over 31 minutes in 65 games (all starts) last season in his second stint in New York after a Jul. 16, 2012 trade with Portland. Over three non-consecutive seasons, the Marion, SC-native averaged 13.4 points and 6.6 assists (fourth all-time) in 187 games for the Knicks.

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Knicks Acquire Calderon, Three Others in Dallas Trade

Tyson Chandler had an unexpected visitor at his breakfast table.

Knicks legend Earl Monroe popped in to enjoy a fine meal at Clyde Frazier's Wine and Dine!

Andrea Bargnani is spreading love of the game as part of the Basketball Without Borders program:

Amar'e Stoudemire, David Beckham and Victor Cruz show off their style!

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Social Corner: Amar'e Gets Dressed Up

(1984) Knicks suffer 121-104 loss at Boston in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Bernard King scores a team high 24 points in the losing effort.

(1991) Harry Gallatin, who averaged 12.7 points over nine seasons with the Knicks, is enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA.

(2008) Mike D’Antoni named 24th head coach in franchise history.

(2013) Tyson Chandler named to NBA All-Defensive first team.

The New York Knicks' season did not go as planned, and a big reason for that was injuries -- none were more impactful than Tyson Chandler's fractured fibula. Chandler appeared in only 55 games and was not at full strength for all of those as he rushed back in order to help his team. 

Chandler was still able to put together some highlight games even with all of the obstacles he faced. Here are the five best games this season:

October 30th vs. Milwaukee Bucks: It was the season opener for the Knicks and expectations were high. The Knicks were expecting to contend in the Eastern Conference with Chandler anchoring their defense. For the first game of the season, that is exactly how it went.

The Knicks were able to pick up a 90-83 victory over the Bucks thanks in part to a great defensive effort from Chandler. The big man recorded season highs in steals (three) and blocks (five), as he controlled the defensive end for the Knicks. He also shut down Bucks’ starting center Larry Sanders, who was limited to only 12 minutes and picked up five fouls.

Chandler would also add 10 points and six rebounds to set the tone to start the season. Unfortunately Chandler suffered an injury less than a week later and the Knicks went into a tailspin without their defensive anchor.

March 5th @ Minnesota Timberwolves: With the Knicks mired in a seven-game losing streak, playoff hopes were fading. The imposing frontcourt combination of Kevin Love and Nikola Pekovic threatened to send the Knicks to an eighth straight loss.

What actually happened was the exact opposite, as Chandler came up huge for the Knicks. He provided a solid scoring boost, pouring in 15, and had a major impact in the rebounding department, pulling down a game-high 14 boards.

He also provided stout defense against Love, who shot 6-for-17 from the field and grabbed only eight rebounds. It was only once of 12 times in the season that Love failed to bring down double-digit rebounds.

The victory kickstarted a season-high eight game winning streak.

February 22nd @ Atlanta Hawks: This was a heartbreaking loss for the Knicks, as they saw a 17-point lead disappear and turn into a nine-point loss. Plenty of things factored into the Knicks losing such a big lead, but one thing that did not was the play of Chandler.

Elton Brand started against Chandler, but at 6'9" he was no match for the Knicks' seven-footer. Chandler grabbed 23 rebounds in the game, which was a season high for Chandler. 19 of them came on the defensive end, as the Hawks just had no one to compete with him on the inside. In fact, Chandler accounted for 28.4 percent of the rebounds corralled in the game. He would also add two blocks, as the paint was his domain on this night.

February 27th @ Miami Heat: While the final score (108-82, Miami) had Knicks fans’ stomachs churning, they had to be happy with how Chandler performed.

Chandler was the most dominant Knick in the game, as the Heat had no answer for him in the paint. Chandler registered a season-high 19 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the field and 7-for-8 from the foul line. His dominance in the paint carried over to the rebounding department as well, as he pulled down 16 in the process; no other player had more than seven in the game.

March 2nd @ Chicago Bulls: A problem the Knicks faced throughout the season was being undersized, especially when Chandler was injured. Against a frontline consisting of Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson, things could get ugly on the interior. The Knicks were blown out of this game by a score of 109-90, but Chandler showed that he can compete with any big men in the NBA in this one.

Going up against the three-headed monster the Bulls rotate up front, Chandler showed them what he is capable of, pulling down 22 rebounds on the night -- eight offensive and 14 defensive. The 22 rebounds he pulled down were exactly half of the Knicks total for the game, and the second highest amount he tallied on the season.

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2013-14 Top 5 Games: Tyson Chandler

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2013-14 Photo Gallery: Tyson Chandler

Statistically Speaking: Played in 55 games, averaging 8.7 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per contest. Sixteen double-doubles.

Year in Review: Poised to help take the Knicks to the next level after anchoring New York’s improved defense over the previous two years, Chandler’s season took an unfortunate turn when he fell to the ground with a broken left fibula just one week into the season. The former Defensive Player of the Year had blocked nine shots combined in the first two games and even begun to showcase some new wrinkles to his offensive game, but he'd be forced to miss the next month and a half.

Chandler’s presence in the paint has made him a lynchpin of New York’s defense since he arrived and we witnessed the consequences of his absence while he sat. The Knicks went 6-14 during the time he missed and by mid December, they were already outside of the playoff picture at nine games under .500. His return couldn't come soon enough.

As the calendar flipped to 2014, the team began to show signs of improvement. Chandler was regaining his strength just in time for the season's most grueling period -- nine of his 16 double-doubles came in February and March, a span that included seven back-to-backs. 

Season Highlight: Chandler’s best performance from this past season was not a single game, but instead a 10-game stretch from late February into March, during which he averaged 12.3 points and 15 rebounds per game. The Knicks were limping through an especially challenging part of the schedule -- facing Miami, Golden State and Chicago during one brutal four-day stretch -- but thanks in part to Chandler’s determination, they were able to respond with a six-game win streak that vaulted them back into playoff contention.

Looking Ahead: Chandler presents a dilemma to any coach: his value to the team, particularly on defense, makes it hard to keep him off the court; this year, the Knicks' net rating (points per 100 possessions) was 2.9 better with him on the floor than with him on the bench. After playing 62 and 66 games in his first two seasons in New York, the leg injury and other minor maladies limited the big man to just 55 this year. 

He's carried such a heavy load since joining the Knicks -- averaging 33 minutes per game the previous two years -- that preserving his body will be a major focus going forward. When he's on the floor, he remains one of the NBA's premier big man defenders, exhibiting excellent communication skills and rim-protecting abilities.

He showcased a new wrinkle to his game, connecting on 12-of-27 jumpers from 16-23 feet, but seemed to struggle finding continuity on offense at times. In addition to his own health issues, his pick-and-roll partner, Raymond Felton, was in and out of the lineup with various ailments. If he can continue to improve the shooting stroke, he'll become an even more versatile weapon out of the high post next seaosn.

Tyson Chandler

This Date in Knicks History: May 13

This Date in Knicks History: August 12

Knicks Acquire Calderon, Three Others in Dallas Trade

Social Corner: Amar'e Gets Dressed Up

This Date in Knicks History: May 13

2013-14 Top 5 Games: Tyson Chandler

2013-14 Photo Gallery: Tyson Chandler

Season in Review: Tyson Chandler