Wilson Chandler

Wilson Chandler
SF/PF - 6’9, 225lbs - 31 years old - 10 years of experience

After two down years and then one missed due to injury, Chandler came back in 2016/17 to post a resurgent year. Unfortunately, after another slow campaign this time around, it looks like being a late-career flash in the pan, as all the improvement he showed seems to have gone away again.

For whatever reason, Chandler barely shot this season. He has a career mark of 13.6 field goals per 36 minutes, and prior to this season, it has never before been below 12.7. This past year, though, Chandler attempted only 9.6 shots per 36 minutes. He was unassertive, and just sort of stood there a lot of the time.

Chandler is better when playing in good offensive units. Most players are, of course, yet Chandler is not a creator with the handle, and nor does he has the speed (or desire) to do much movement off the ball. But if the ball is already moving well, then Chandler fits in well, making quick decisions, spotting up, driving against unset defences. Prior to this season, at least.

Unfortunately, Chandler seems to play better as a power forward these days, particularly defensively as his foot speed starts to go. So does the entire Nuggets roster, basically. So there is no room for him there. He is not the answer at the three spot any longer, and maybe it is time to part.

Player Plan: Has exercised a $12,800,562 player option for one more year. At the level he has played at this season, that’s an overpayment, but not one worth moving assets to be rid of.

Wilson Chandler
SF, 6’8, 225lbs, 30 years old, 9 years of experience

One of the better two-way players on the team, who came back from missing a season due to injury to play better than he had done in the two years before he went away. A luxury and a quality player, who shoots a bit, drives a bit, takes on the glass, can float between three positions, adds another stretch four option when needs be, and steps up on offence when required. There is nothing remarkable yet there need not be. A glue guy who will surely have value to contending teams, at a good price with two years left on his contract (albeit one via a player option).

Player Plan: Two years with a combined circa. $24.8 million remaining, including a player option for 2018/19. Has been a valuable role player, will continue to be a valuable role player, and yet could be traded as a valuable role player, because everyone needs valuable role players.

It won't look like it in hindsight, but there was a time when there was absolutely no way that the Knicks were going to trade both Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari for Carmelo, let alone also get them under the luxury tax and give out every possible future young asset not called Landry Fields in the process. But then an NBA team yielded to the input of the head coach of a Sun Belt Conference team. It's not who you are in this business; it's who you were.

However, those savings won't last forever. New York's decision not to sign Chandler to an extension this past offseason not only inadvertently facilitated the trade - had Wilson signed one, his Poison Pill Provision would have significantly complicated the salary ramifications - but it has also created something of a welcome problem for Denver. While they have cut costs and accumulated young talent, it won't be long before Chandler needs a new contract, as will starting guard Arron Afflalo, another key piece moving forward who unfortunately won't be a bargain for much longer.

In the midst of his breakout season, a re-signed Wilson Chandler will not come cheaply, and the retention of both he and Afflalo will end any cap space aspirations that the Nuggets may otherwise have had. With Kenyon Martin's seven year deal finally expiring this summer, and with Nene potentially opting out of his final season, Denver currently stands to have only $30,047,610 in committed salary, split between the incoming Felton, Mozgov, Koufos and Gallinari, and the incumbent Al Harrington, Chris Andersen and Ty Lawson. However, retaining Afflalo and Chandler will not be cheap; the pair's cap holds will combine for $12,270,177 alone, before a single dollar has even be committed. That's how it stands to be under this CBA, at least.