Dallas must prioritize Tyson Chandler over Monta Ellis
The Dallas Mavericks have several question marks heading into the summer, but their two biggest ones are whether they'll re-sign Tyson Chandler and Monta Ellis. Both players are aging, but can still offer quality production for the next few seasons.
Here's The Dallas Morning News' Kevin Sherrington on why Dallas should take care of Chandler first:
"They want [Ellis] back, but they know they can't pay what he can get in the open market. The best they can hope is that he'll realize he's had his best years here, and if he takes a one-year deal to bridge the gap until the cap rises next year, he'll be rewarded for it. Can't think of many players who buy into that. They've got to keep Chandler first, and that's going to cost them in an effort to lure a marquee FA, too."
Without a defensive center next to Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavericks have no chance at accomplishing anything, no matter how lights out their offense is. If it's not Chandler, they still need to find another very large individual to anchor the defense, grab rebounds and bang bodies in the paint.
Their best bet may just be bringing back the guy everyone in Dallas is already comfortable with. Ellis is a solid shooting guard who can get to the rim almost at will, but at this point he's a replaceable commodity.
(h/t: The Dallas Morning News)
Photo Credit: Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports
