Tyson Chandler visits Dallas after being spurned twice

SAN ANTONIO – Amid the July 8 social media-fest of emojis when the Los Angeles Clippers had DeAndre Jordan quarantined from the Dallas Mavericks, Tyson Chandler had the most appropriate of them all.

Chandler, the center Dallas had let go – again – to pursue Jordan, posted a simple hand peace sign and a sun. A week earlier, Chandler had made his peace with the situation by finding a sunny landing spot in Phoenix with a four-year, $52 million deal.

Wednesday, Chandler returns to the city where he helped the Mavericks to a 2011 championship and wanted to set roots – twice. Dallas let him go in 2011 in the name of financial flexibility, only to come to regret it and bring him back in 2014. A year later, Dallas set him free again.

“I definitely felt like, after winning a championship and help bring it there, that I was going to be there for the long run,” Chandler said Tuesday. “I never heard of a championship team being broken up like that. When they traded for me to come back, I sat at the podium with everybody else and heard them say this was going to be a long-term deal and they weren’t going to make the same mistake as last time and blah-blah-blah. Seven months later, the same thing happens again. But I learned in this business that you can’t trust everybody. That’s why it is what it is.”

When Chandler was reintroduced in Dallas last year, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said, “Let’s just say I learn from my mistakes.” Cuban recently told ESPN’s Dallas radio affiliate that Chandler has a right to feel “salty” because he suggested Chandler would be there for a long time.

That changed when Jordan became available, although Cuban also said in the radio interview that Dallas approached Chandler about an extension last year and that Chandler’s camp gave Dallas an ultimatum when the Suns came after him.

“I saw the bull---- they put out,” Chandler said. “It’s just bull----. Just saving face. It was what it was. It was clear. The whole process was going on while I was basically still in the jersey.”

When Chandler left Dallas in 2011, the Mavericks offered him a one-year to deal to stay when the Knicks were offering a four-year, $56 million contract. The Mavericks were concerned about an aging roster and wanted to continue pursuing high-profile free agents.

Last season, Chandler averaged 10.3 points and 11.5 rebounds while shooting 66.6 percent from the field over 75 games.

But when free agency came around, it appeared he was being kept to the side while Dallas checked if it could get Jordan.

“I’m pretty high in this league, so that ain’t my position,” Chandler said.

Chandler quickly committed to the Suns while the saga dragged on until Jordan changed his mind to return to the Clippers. Chandler quickly addresses the reunion by revisiting Dallas Wednesday and seeing his old team again in the regular season opener at Talking Stick Resort Arena in a week.

“To be honest, I don’t know what my emotions are going to be like going in there until I get there,” Chandler said. “I feel like the whole situation was all bad – twice.”

Suns down Spurs

The Suns were using Tuesday night's game at San Antonio as possibly the closest thing to a real look that they will have in the preseason.

And it looked real good as Phoenix beat the Spurs 104-84.

Markieff Morris made all three of his 3-point tries in a game for the second time this preseason. The Suns started a likely regular-season opener lineup of Morris, Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight, P.J. Tucker and Chandler. Bledsoe, playing for the first time since the preseason opener, posted 13 points, eight rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes.

It also was the first time he and Knight could work on backcourt chemistry since the opener. Knight added 10 points and seven assists but also had five turnovers.

Sonny Weems, locking down the backup shooting guard spot, had a 12-point, two-assist first half in going against his former coach, Spurs assistant and former CSKA Moscow coach Ettore Messina. In another position battle at backup power forward, Jon Leuer played well in the second and third quarters, but Mirza Teletovic finished strong with three second-half 3-pointers.

T.J. Warren came off the bench for 15 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals in 31 minutes

Reach Paul Coro at paul.coro@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-2470. Follow him at twitter.com/paulcoro.

Wednesday's game

Suns at Mavericks

When: 5:30 p.m.

Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas

TV/radio: None/KMVP-FM (98.7).

Mavericks update: Coming off a 50-win, seventh-seed season, Dallas lost Monta Ellis and Tyson Chandler before DeAndre Jordan backed out of a free-agency commitment. The Mavericks’ biggest free agency signing was Wesley Matthews, but he is coming off an Achilles' injury. Dallas replaced Ellis and Chandler with veterans Deron Williams and Zaza Pachulia. Dirk Nowitzki will enter the season with a chance to pass Shaquille O’Neal for the No. 6 spot on the NBA all-time scoring list.