12:16pm: The Cavaliers, one of the few teams who have the cap space to pose a serious threat to the Nuggets for Chandler, don't intend to get involved, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer (via Twitter). The Cavs like Chandler, but prefer to rebuild through trades and the draft (Twitter link).
11:12am: Although the Nuggets extended Wilson Chandler's a qualifying offer last year to make him a restricted free agent, that offer expired on December 25th, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). If Chandler had hoped to become an unrestricted free agent at season's end, he could have accepted the $3.1MM qualifying offer, but because it expired while he was under contract in China, he no longer has that option.
As I explained when I explored Chandler's options this morning, qualifying offers for restricted free agents typically expire on March 1st, though teams can choose to set an earlier deadline. It's unclear if the NBA adjusted the deadline in the new CBA or if the Nuggets set an earlier deadline, but either way, it limits Chandler's options.
Chandler, 24, could sign a long-term deal with the Nuggets or another club, or sit out the season and test restricted free agency again in the summer, when teams have more financial flexibility. However, his chances of becoming an unrestricted free agent after the season look slim to none, since the Nuggets don't plan to offer him a rest-of-season deal, according to Stein (on Twitter). The earliest Chandler could become an unrestricted free agent would be after next season, if he sat out this year, then accepted a qualifying offer from the Nuggets for 2012/13.
So if another team offers him a deal does Denver still get to match? This line confuses me: “Chandler, 24, could sign a long-term deal with the Nuggets or another club, or sit out the season and test restricted free agency again in the summer,”
Yep. If Chandler signs a long-term offer sheet from another club, the Nuggets could match it, but obviously they don’t HAVE to. So Chandler COULD sign a long-term deal with another team.
If he sits out the season, the Nuggets still have his rights. So they’d likely extend another qualifying offer by June 30th, making him a restricted free agent again and putting him in the same situation he was a year ago (albeit with no lockout to worry about this time!).
— Luke