Thunder say N.O. to Chandlers toe jam

In the hours after the Oklahoma City Thunder stunningly voided their trade for New Orleans Hornets center Tyson Chandler, league executives questioned why the Thunder would give up on what appeared to be such a promising deal.
The weight of the trade, four league officials said, rested on Chandler’s left big toe. During Chandler’s physical, the Hornets’ medical staff, in consultation with outside doctors, raised concerns about a lingering turf-toe condition.
“It’s not going to end his career,” one source familiar with Chandler’s medical history said, “but it could hinder it.”
One of the reasons the Hornets wouldn’t have expected any complications with the trade was that Chandler had surgery on the toe in April 2007 when the Thunder’s team doctor, Carlan Yates, had been the Hornets’ doctor in Oklahoma City. The Hornets had reason to assume that Thunder management had thorough access to Chandler’s medical records.

Thunder GM Sam Presti, who would not discuss the specifics of why Chandler failed the team’s physical, said the team sought additional opinions from outside doctors before making its decision to rescind the trade.
“You try to take emotion out of the equation and make as objective a decision as possible,” Presti said by phone Wednesday night. “This was extremely disappointing for everyone involved.