From ESPN's Chad Ford: "A source close to the situation told ESPN.com that Bobcats big man Tyson Chandler is seriously considering exercising an early termination option on his contract this summer. If Chandler terminates his contract early, he'll forfeit the remaining $12.6 million he's due from the Bobcats and become an unrestricted free agent on July 1." This is somewhat of a surprise, as that's a lot of money to leave on the table for a guy that's struggled through injuries the last two seasons. But at the same time, according to Ford, this summer also presents an opportunity to someone like Chandler: There are tons of teams with cap space, and some of them could use a center. As such, if Chandler's now healthy -- the source Ford spoke with said he's "gotten all of his issues taken care of and he's gearing up to have a big year next season" -- he could be in line for a solid payday. Additionally, if Chandler were to play out next season at $12.6 million, the new collective-bargaining agreement that's set for the summer of 2011 -- one projected to slash player salaries and max years on a deal -- could leave him with less financial opportunity. He avoids that by becoming a free agent this summer. "Now that the injury is behind him, Chandler is looking to seize an opportunity. With so many teams under the luxury tax next season and only five or six top tier free agents out there, a number of teams are going to be left with lots of money to spend this summer. Not everyone can land LeBron or Dwyane Wade. The other thing working in Chandler's favor is that there aren't really any true centers in free agency this summer and a number of teams with cap space including the Thunder, Knicks, Timberwolves, Wizards and Heat need a center badly. Pair those two factors together and Chandler could be in a for a big payday this summer. While it's unlikely he can get a starting contract at $12.6 million per year, he should be able to snag a 4 or 5 year deal in the $10 million per year range and get some security before the collective bargaining agreement changes next summer. If Chandler exercises the termination option in his contract, it will leave the Bobcats with just one big man, Nazr Mohammed, in the middle. However, getting Chandler's $12.6 million off the books next year would give the Bobcats between $6 and $7 million in cap room this summer to try to replace him." Source: ESPN
This would be a stupid move after the last two season he has had. That toe injury won't just disappear overnight, pretty sure that's why OKC didn't take him in that deal few years back.
