Nets forward Wilson Chandler has informed the team that he’s opting out of the NBA’s restart for the 2019/20 season, he told ESPN’s Malika Andrews. According to Andrews, Chandler wants to spend more time with his family, including his grandmother (who raised him) and his three children.
“As difficult as it will be to not be with my teammates, the health and well-being of my family has to come first,” Chandler told ESPN. “Thank you to the Nets organization for understanding and supporting me in this decision, and I will be watching and rooting for our team in Orlando.”
The season is set to resume at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida later next month, with Brooklyn’s first game coming against the Magic on July 31. The Nets are already set to play without the likes of Kevin Durant (Achilles rehab), Kyrie Irving (shoulder) and Nicolas Claxton (shoulder) once the season restarts. The team will be able to sign a substitute player to replace Chandler, but not its injured players.
Chandler, a 6’8″ forward, averaged 5.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 21 minutes in 35 games with the Nets this season, mostly providing depth off the bench. In addition to Brooklyn, Chandler has made past NBA stops with the Knicks, Nuggets, Sixers and Clippers. He’s set to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.
Teams are required to submit their final rosters on Wednesday, July 1. Blazers forward Trevor Ariza, Lakers guard Avery Bradley, Mavericks center Willie Cauley-Stein and Wizards forward Davis Bertans have also opted out of the NBA’s restart to this point.
He’s right . Family first
But it was ok to protest with a bunch of strangers…family is always first but not in this instance. He is a free agent at the end of this year and getting hurt is not worth it to him. It’s all about the money not the virus
Protestors have immunity from BS-19
True you can only get it from family and teammates but not complete strangers at a protest
The Nets will be swept by either the Bucks or Raptors. No big deal.
No biggie! He won’t be missed!
His neck-tats make him vulnerable. Well what are necks for anyway, they just sit there connecting things.
He already let his team down in the beginning of the year(steroids), so I am not surprised he is doing it again.
All you guys are really jumping the shark on dimwittedness today.
Yeah but if he were in Orlando in the bubble and his family was at home… how/why would that have any impact on his family’s health? If he doesn’t want to be away from them for an extended period of time that’s understandable… but their health isn’t really a valid concern… because it’s not like him playing in Orlando away from them would have any impact whatsoever on his family’s physical health…