MINNEAPOLIS – Tyson Chandler stood against a wall on the Suns’ practice court, thinking about everything he has endured the past two years:

The death of his grandfather, who was a father figure to Chandler.

His mother, Vernie, died from colon cancer in November of 2016.

The loss of two cousins.

The recent death of his wife’s grandmother.

“It takes a bit of a toll,” Chandler said. “It’s been a crazy-ass couple of years, but all you can do is pray and be there.”

Chandler’s deep connection to his family – and his desire to take care of them – was, he revealed Friday, part of the reason he signed with the Suns in 2015. He thought Phoenix had an up-and-coming team as well, but he was influenced by the opportunity to be just a short flight away from his mother, who lived in San Bernardino, Calif.

For the final two months of the 2011-12 season, Chandler, then with the New York Knicks, would fly cross country after games to spend a few hours lying next to his mother in her hospital bed before flying back for the next game or practice.

Signing with the Suns made life simpler, if not easier.

“I didn’t even look at East Coast teams,” Chandler said. “It was all going to be West Coast-based because I clearly wanted to spend as much time as I could with (my mom).”

Chandler said the Suns gave him their blessing to miss the occasional shootaround, practice or game to be with his mother. Last season, as Vernie’s cancer progressed, he would again fly home after games and then return to Arizona as soon as he could.

“I’m one of the key players, so anytime you go missing, it’s clearly a sacrifice for the team because you’re needed,” Chandler said. “But they realize you get just one mama, so they were great about it and then gracious to allow me my time to grieve.”

That graciousness, in turn, changed Chandler’s mind about staying with the Suns. In March 2016, he told azcentral.com: “For me, especially where I am in my career, I want to win. I want to win now. I’m not in any kind of rebuilding stage. So if that’s the case, it ain’t where I’m supposed to be.”

Chandler no longer feels that way. He sees a "light" in the Suns' younger players, but he also appreciates everything the organization has done for him.

“When people step up for you in that time of need, that’s when everything changes,” Chandler said. “Because then you realize where people’s hearts are and how loyal they are. Accolades are awesome, but when somebody is really going through something like I have the last couple of years and people have been there for you, you want to be there for them as well. I felt like they really needed me, so I stopped voicing anything like that.

“You can make it about you and a lot of time in this profession you probably should because it’s a business. But sometimes it’s bigger than you, and if you come across that, you can’t run from it.”

Chandler, 35, doesn’t fit into the Suns’ timeline or future, but his contribution this season is unmistakable. He’s averaging 7.4 points and 9.7 rebounds per game in just 26 minutes of play, but his value is best seen in one statistic. When he’s not on the floor, Phoenix ranks 30th in the NBA in defensive rating (111.6). When he’s on the floor, the Suns rank 16th (105.4).

“I don’t know if there are enough words I can say (about Chandler),” interim coach Jay Triano said. "… He can teach our guys how to be a pro for a long time. Don’t be a flash in the pan for one or two years and have it fade. Learn how to take care of your body. Learn how to be a father, learn how to be a good teammate. I think he’s got a lot of things he can offer these young players.”

It took Chandler years to learn those lessons. He laughs now when he thinks of the 25-year-old Chandler, walking onto a court with little warm-up and “doing windmill dunks and guarding one through five.

“I feel like I can do the same things, but it just takes longer,” Chandler said. “And it’s a lot more preparation. And recovery after the game.”

To that end, Chandler’s dedication to staying on top of his game even as he’s closer to 40 than 30 is absolute.

“I make sure I’m detailed about everything I do,” he said. “I don’t miss an ice bath. I don’t miss a massage. I don’t miss a treatment. I don’t miss a lift. I do all those things to make sure that I’m ready for the next game.”

When Chandler arrived in the NBA straight out of high school in 2001, he thought a 10- to 12-year NBA career would be “a hell of a career.”

This is his 17th season.

“At some point, I stopped looking at years and made it about effort,” he said. “Like being consistent about wanting to get better every single summer. Putting in the effort and not settling.”

Chandler was lifting with some younger NBA players this summer when he gave them a piece of advice.

“I told them, ‘If you stop getting better, quit. Walk away from the game,’” he said. “For me, there’s always something I feel I can improve on. So every summer it’s like I’m a rookie all over again trying to prove to everybody that I’m better than they think I am.”

Injury update

Triano said he doesn’t anticipate Devin Booker (strained left adductor muscle) or Davon Reed (offseason knee surgery) to start practicing on Phoenix’s three-game road trip. But the Suns are hopeful Booker will be able to play by late December and that Reed will return around Jan. 1.

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Saturday's game

Suns at Timberwolves

When: 6 p.m.

Where: Target Center, Minneapolis.

TV/radio: FSAZ/KTAR 98.7 FM.

Update: The Suns have lost five straight and are 0-4 without Devin Booker, who will be sidelined throughout this three-game road trip that winds through Minneapolis, Dallas and Los Angeles. The Timberwolves are 17-12 and have won three of their past four games. Jimmy Butler has scored more than 30 points in three of Minnesota’s past six games. He forms a terrific outside-inside combination with center Karl-Anthony Towns, who is averaging 20.4 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. Phoenix and Minnesota have split their two games this season.