The Dallas Mavericks announced Tuesday that they have acquired centers Tyson Chandler and Alexis Ajinca from the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for center Erick Dampier, forward Eduardo Najera, guard Matt Carroll and cash considerations.
Chandler (7-1, 235) is an nine-year veteran who holds career averages of 8.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 27.6 minutes in 588 games (391 starts). Chandler entered the 2001 NBA Draft out of Dominquez High School (Compton, Calif.) and was the second overall pick. He has played for Chicago, New Orleans and Charlotte.
Last season with the Bobcats, Chandler played in 51 games (starting 27) and averaged 6.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks despite being hampered by a stress reaction in his left foot that caused him to miss 29 games. Prior to that, Chandler was a member of the New Orleans Hornets where he enjoyed the best season of his career in 2007-08 when he averaged a career-high 11.8 points, 11.7 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, 1.0 assists in a career-high 35.2 minutes while shooting .623 from the floor in 79 starts. During the 2008 postseason, Chandler led the Hornets past Dallas into the Western Conference semi-finals averaging 10.3 points and 10.3 rebounds.
Ajinca (7-0, 220) was selected by the Charlotte Bobcats as the 20th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. The two-year pro has averages of 2.2 points, 0.9 rebounds and 0.2 blocks in 5.7 minutes in 37 career games. He has made two separate D-League stints with the Sioux Falls Skyforce (2008-09) and Maine Red Claws (2009-10) playing in 33 games and averaging 14.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.7 blocks, 0.6 steals, and 0.4 steals in 24.9 minutes, while shooting .523 from the field (161-308 FGs) and .760 from the free-throw line (130-171 FTs). He was named to the 2010 D-League Eastern Conference All-Star Team but was unable to play due to injury.
The Saint Etienne, France, native played two years professionally with Hyeres-Toulon in the French Pro A League before declaring for the NBA Draft. With Hyeres-Toulon, he averaged 4.7 points while shooting .538 from the field (42-80 FGs), 3.1 rebounds and 1.0 block in 26 games. He won the bronze medal with the French National Team at the 2007 Under-19 World Championship.
Dallas parts ways with Dampier after aquiring him via a sign-and-trade with Golden State on August 24, 2004. Dampier was the third-longest tenured Maverick behind Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry and played 424 games in Dallas. Among franchise leaders, Dampier ranks seventh in rebounds (3,211), fourth in offensive rebounds (1,224), seventh in defensive rebounds (1,715), first in field goal percentage (.591) and fourth in blocks (546). Najera was in his second stint with the Mavericks after being drafted by Dallas in the second round of the 2000 NBA Draft (38th overall), while Carroll just finished his first full season as a Maverick after being acquired from Charlotte on January 16, 2009.
The original headline said Mavs traded Dirk -- that was a mistake. We regret the error.
