Sam Amick

USA TODAY Sports

Tyson Chandler returned to the team he won a championship with in 2011, as the New York Knicks dealt the center to the Dallas Mavericks in a six-player trade Wednesday, two people with knowledge of the talks told USA TODAY Sports.

The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal was not finalized, but the teams announced the trade later Wednesday.

The deal will send Chandler and Knicks point guard Raymond Felton to the Mavericks in exchange for Dallas point guard Jose Calderon, center Samuel Dalembert, shooting guard Wayne Ellington, 21-year-old point guard Shane Larkin and the 34th and 51st pick in Thursday's draft.

"The journey to build this team for the upcoming season and beyond continues," Knicks President Phil Jackson said in a news release. "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."

The Mavericks get the best player in the deal, Chandler, the 32-year-old 2013 All-Star who is coming off an injury-filled run with the Knicks but still can be an elite defender. They also get Felton, who has been criticized for his defense and fitness but has a reasonable contract for next year with a player option for 2015-16.

The Knicks, though, get some financial flexibility and Calderon, a veteran point guard who, because of his elite shooting and passing skills, could be a good fit in the option. Calderon is set to make about $7 million a year for the next three seasons. Dalembert has a partially guaranteed contract for next season, while Larkin is on the second year of his rookie contract.

Larkin, son of Baseball Hall of Famer Barry, played sparingly in an injury-filled rookie season after being drafted 18th overall from Miami last year. But his athleticism and output in college enticed scouts.