Tyson Chandler trade rescinded; Smith and Wilcox back to OKC

Holy crap.

From ESPN:

“The New Orleans Hornets decided to trade Tyson Chandler to clear some cap space and add depth to the frontcourt. They’ll have to go back to the drawing board.

The Hornets announced on Wednesday that the Oklahoma City Thunder did not medically clear the center and therefore rescinded the trade. Chandler would have gone to the Thunder for forwards Chris Wilcox and Joe Smith.

“We welcome Tyson back with open arms,” Hornets general manager Jeff Bower said in a statement. “We went into this trade to garner more frontcourt depth to add to our team as we continue our push towards the playoffs. We expect Tyson and the rest of our big guys to step up to the challenge.”

Chandler, who is averaging 8.8 points and 8.3 rebounds this season, has been bothered by foot problems and has played in only 32 games. He is set to make $12.3 million next season.”

UPDATE: Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports:

The Oklahoma City Thunder doctors have red-flagged a turf toe condition with newly acquired center Tyson Chandler and the New Orleans Hornets trade has been voided, league executives said Wednesday night.

“It’s blown up,” one league executive said.

The Hornets and Thunder completed the Chandler trade on Tuesday for Joe Smith and Chris Wilcox, and the rights to 2008 draft pick DeVon Hardin, but lingering problems with a “turf toe” injury crushed the deal, league sources said.

“The doctors told him that he can’t do surgery on the toe, and it could be with him for a couple years,” one league source familiar with injury said. “It’s not going to end his career, but it could hinder it.”

UPDATE No. 2: More from ESPN.com:

After examining Chandler’s left big toe, Dr. Carlan Yates, Oklahoma City’s team physician, determined that the risk of re-injury was too great to give Chandler a clean bill of health. He therefore advised the Thunder to rescind Tuesday’s trade that landed them Chandler for Joe Smith, Chris Wilcox and the rights to Devon Hardin.

“This is absolutely crazy,” Chandler said in a telephone conversation Wednesday night. “I’m super shocked. This is nuts.”

Chandler, 26, was baffled by Yates’ ruling in part because Yates performed surgery on Chandler’s big left toe in April of 2007 when the Hornets were playing in Oklahoma City. Chandler played 79 games the following season and while he’s missed 19 games this season, none have been because of his toe.

“He said he doesn’t know how long I’ll last,” Chandler said in reference to Yates. “He told me, ‘I have no doubt you can play on it. I’m just saying it could take a turn for the worse if you come down on somebody’s foot or hyperextend it or something.'”

Chandler was bothered by the toe in last season’s playoffs and withdrew from Team USA over the summer.

*** Let me just say, Dr. Carlan Yates better be freaking right. But the part of “I’m just saying it could take a turn for the worse if you come down on somebody’s foot or hyperextend it or something,” really freaks me out. Well dir, Mr. doctor man. If somebody comes down on another guy’s foot, there’s a pretty dang good chance for injury. That’s basketball. That quote reads to me as OKC is playing hypothetical instead of just letting what happens, happen. It’s not as if Chandler is hurt now, but more of, “well, he could get hurt.” That doesn’t sound good for our side. ***

I don’t even know what to say right now. This… never happens. Everything we were just getting so psyched about is gone. The “fearsome foursome” talk. The new nicknames. The optimism. Zapped. Gone. See ya. Well, the optimism isn’t entirely gone because we’re still on track with KD, Uncle Jeff and Russell, but the immediate optimism took a hit.

Turns out it’s some kind of lingering turf toe.

And who knows if Sam Presti will be back on the horn tonight trying to swing another deal at the deadline. All I know is that my head’s spinning.

I think I speak for everyone when I say, this sucks. And I mean that in the nicest way possible Joe Smith and Chris Wilcox.