Wilson Chandler Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Wilson Chandler Meeting With Nuggets

February 20th, 2012 at 11:01am CST by Luke Adams

After spending the season in China, Wilson Chandler is back in America and will meet with the Nuggets today in Denver, according to Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post (via Twitter). Chandler will be exploring a long-term or rest-of-season contract with the team.

While Chandler's Chinese team will be playing in the CBA postseason later this week, Chandler seems to have been allowed to come home early, as we heard on Friday. It's not clear yet whether the 24-year-old has been granted a FIBA letter of clearance, but as soon as he's cleared, he'll be eligible for restricted NBA free agency.

Teams are not allowed to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets as of March 1st, so it appears Chandler should have a small window available to entertain offers from teams besides Denver. Reports so far though indicate that he intends to re-sign with the Nuggets, who could match any offer made by another club.

Odds & Ends: Nuggets, Suns, Jazz, Bulls

February 17th, 2012 at 12:48pm CST by Luke Adams

While we wait for official word on the Knicks' pending roster moves, let's round up a few odds and ends from around the NBA:

Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post looks ahead to Wilson Chandler's expected return to the Nuggets, which could happen sooner than expected.
Free agent Al Thornton will work out for the Suns today, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Michael Finley and Jermaine Taylor worked out for Phoenix yesterday, and Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic adds Elijah Millsap to the workout list as well (Twitter link).
After Seattle officially unveiled its arena proposal yesterday, Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson tells the Sacramento Bee he doesn't blame Seattle for pursuing an NBA franchise (potentially the Kings): "If we were without a team, I would be doing the same thing. But we have laser focus, we control our own destiny and we're closer than we've ever been."
The Jazz should listen to trade proposals over the next few weeks, but refrain from acting on anything unless they're blown away, opines Patrick Kinahan of 1320 KFAN at NBA.com.
Sam Smith answered a number of Bulls-related trade and roster questions in his latest mailbag at Bulls.com. Smith says the delay on a Joel Przybilla signing may stem from whether or not the big man wants to continue his NBA career.

Wilson Chandler To Return Early From China

February 17th, 2012 at 8:20am CST by Luke Adams

Wilson Chandler recently helped his CBA team, the Zhejiang Lions, clinch a playoff spot, but it doesn't appear he'll be around for the team's postseason run. According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, Chandler is scheduled to return to America as early as next week, even though the CBA playoffs don't get underway until Wednesday.

Chandler, like other players who signed in China during the lockout, was expected to honor his contract and play until his CBA team finished its season. However, Stein hears that the DePaul product may have essentially been granted permission to miss the playoffs if he helped the Lions get there.

Even if Chandler returns next week, he'll still need to be granted a FIBA letter of clearance before he can officially sign with an NBA team. It's unclear whether the CBA would be willing to grant Chandler clearance before the Lions' season ends, though sources tell Stein the league may be more inclined to do so if the 24-year-old plays in the CBA's All-Star Game this weekend.

Chandler, who will be a restricted free agent upon returning, is reportedly weighing whether to sign with the Nuggets long-term or sign for the rest of the season and become an unrestricted free agent this summer. While we've heard before of Chandler's intentions to re-sign with the Nuggets one way or the other, that decision could become more complicated if he's cleared to return to the NBA by the end of the month. Since teams aren't permitted to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets after March 1st, it appeared Denver would be Chandler's only option, but returning early could open up a few more opportunities for him.

Odds & Ends: LeBron, Chandler, Lin, Barnes

February 16th, 2012 at 3:32pm CST by Luke Adams

LeBron James raised some eyebrows earlier today when he told reporters, including Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, that he wouldn't rule out eventually returning to Cleveland:

"It would be fun to play in front of these fans again," said James. "I had a lot fun times in my seven years here. You can't predict the future, and hopefully I continue to stay healthy. I'm here as a Miami Heat player, and I'm happy where I am now, but I don't rule that out in no sense…. And if I decide to come back, hopefully the fans will accept me."

While James sounded contrite about the way he left the Cavaliers, I can't bring myself to put much stock into his comments about potentially returning. It strikes me as an attempt to mend fences and shed the villainous reputation he earned in Ohio following "The Decision."

Here are a few more links from around the league:

While J.R. Smith seemed anxious to leave China as soon as possible, Wilson Chandler had nothing but positive things to Sun Xiaochen of China Daily about his experience in the CBA: "It has been a very good learning curve and experience for me and has helped me mature in some ways and develop parts of my game that I hadn't worked on in a while."
The latest "We could have had Jeremy Lin!" story comes out of Boston, as Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald reports the Celtics twice hoped to claim Lin on waivers, but lost out to the Rockets and Knicks.
Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle doesn't blame Rockets GM Daryl Morey for letting Lin go.
Sophomore Harrison Barnes tells Chris Thomasson of FOX Sports Florida that it'd be a "no-brainer" to declare for this year's draft if UNC wins the national championship this year. I'm betting Barnes, who figures to be a top-five pick, will be entering the draft even if the Tar Heels are bounced from March Madness early.

Chandler Plans To Re-Sign With Nuggets

February 8th, 2012 at 10:18pm CST by Luke Adams

10:18pm: Despite a wave of interest coming from several teams throughout the league, Wilson Chandler plans to rejoin the Nuggets upon returning to the NBA. In a tweet, Marc Spears of Yahoo! reports that Chandler will either sign on for the rest of this season, or to a long-term deal.

5:10pm: As we discussed earlier today, Wilson Chandler's status as a restricted free agent when he returns from China could limit his NBA options. Chandler is preparing for such a scenario and hopes to sign a long-term contract with the Nuggets, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.

Chandler's Zhejiang Lions currently rank eighth in the CBA, which would just barely qualify them for the postseason. If they fall out of the playoffs over the next week, Chandler could return to America this month and be eligible to receive offer sheets from any NBA team. However, if the Lions play past March 1st, NBA clubs wouldn't be permitted to sign Chandler to an offer sheet when his contract in China ends, meaning he could only play in Denver this season.

According to Kennedy, Chandler is prepared to sit out the rest of the NBA season if he returns after March 1st and he and the Nuggets can't work out a long-term deal. In that case, the 24-year-old would again be a restricted free agent this summer, with the restrictions on offer sheets lifted.

Restricted Free Agency May Limit Chandler, Brooks

February 8th, 2012 at 9:37am CST by Luke Adams

Fans of the Knicks, Clippers, and a handful of other teams are anxiously awaiting J.R. Smith's return to the NBA, but Smith isn't the only intriguing free-agent-to-be still under contract in China. Wilson Chandler and Aaron Brooks are also expected to head back to America when their Chinese teams finish their respective seasons.

Rumors and speculation have followed Smith more than the others in part because he'll be an unrestricted free agent when his Chinese contract expires, meaning he'll be free to sign with any NBA team. Chandler and Brooks, on the other hand, are restricted free agents under the control of the Nuggets and Suns, respectively. As such, their NBA options may be limited.

As Larry Coon writes at HoopsWorld today, players aren't allowed to sign offer sheets after March 1st of any season, including this one. While the Chinese regular season ends on February 15th, Chandler's and Brooks' clubs both appear ticketed for the postseason, meaning they could be playing in China well into March. If Chandler and Brooks return to America in March, they could only play for the Nuggets and Suns, since sign-and-trade agreements aren't allowed during the season.

If a restricted free agent like Chandler and Brooks hopes to field offers from other teams this season, one of three things must happen, as Coon outlines:

His Chinese club must finish its season in February, giving him a chance to sign offer sheets with teams before March 1st.
His Chinese club must release him before March 1st, and FIBA must grant him a letter of clearance. This was how Kenyon Martin was able to return early to the NBA, though Martin was an unrestricted free agent upon his return.
His NBA club must renounce his rights, making him an unrestricted free agent. It seems unlikely that the Nuggets or Suns would give up their rights to Chandler and Brooks for nothing, but it's a possibility.

The idea of an influx of quality free agents making their way back from China in the next month is exciting, but a number of obstacles must be cleared for that idea to become a reality. At least one thing is certain: We'll be paying extra-close attention to the CBA postseason this year.

Raptors Rumors: Chandler, Kirilenko, Barbosa

February 5th, 2012 at 12:33pm CST by Daniel Seco

Toronto Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo spoke candidly about a potential roster shake-up during Friday's game against the Washington Wizards, writes Hasan Alanam of Canada.com. With the team currently hovering near the bottom of the Atlantic Division, Colangelo expressed a desire to consider any and every move that may help the Raptors move closer to their goal of becoming a championship-caliber squad. In his mind, the path toward success may become a bit clearer once the future for three particular players becomes more evident.

Colangelo discussed what adding former Utah Jazz sharpshooter Andrei Kirilenko could do for the Raptors especially considering the success AK-47 has enjoyed this season while playing in Russia. Averaging 13 PPG and nearly 8 RPG, Kirilenko, 30, has led CSKA Moscow to an undefeated regular season thus far and looks to be an early favorite for MVP. As Kirilenko announced his intentions to stay in Russia for the entire season, the Raptors would be looking to sign the former first-round draft pick this summer.
While the Raptors will have to wait a few months to begin courting Kirilenko, Colangelo can add an important piece to his roster once small forward Wilson Chandler is released from his contract with the CBA's Zhejiang Guangsha. The fifth-year player out of DePaul is a restricted free agent which will allow for the Denver Nuggets to match any contract that the Raptors might offer Chandler. Given Chandler's upward trending career numbers and youth (24), the Raptors' bid must be overly aggressive if they have any hope of Chandler heading across the border to Toronto.
During his concluding remarks in an interview with the Raptors broadcast team, Colangelo mentioned how he viewed Leandro Barbosa as a valuable trade chip moving forward. Colangelo expressed Barbosa's importance to the team but pondered what nearly 13 PPG from a 29-year-old veteran guard could land the Raptors in a trade with a contending team. While Barbosa remains a valuable addition for any team, his most attractive asset may be his contract which expires at the end of the season.

Berger On Howard, Williams, Chandler, Nash, GMs

February 3rd, 2012 at 9:03pm CST by Alex Lee

Ken Berger of CBSSports weighed in on the Dwight Howard situation, Deron Williams and several other hot NBA topics. Here is a quick summary of his updates:

Dwight Howard would already be on his way out of Orlando if he was able to make a decision on a destination, according to a person close to the situation. Rival executives believe that after the All-Star game in Orlando, the Magic will be forced to move him.
Berger says that despite reports to the contrary, the Lakers are indeed one of Howard's finalists, along with the Mavericks and Nets. The Lakers would prefer to move Pau Gasol in a deal over newly named All-Star starter Andrew Bynum.
While the Nets are encouraged by Deron Williams' outlook on the team, the team knows that it must complete a Dwight Howard-sized deal to resign the point guard.
Despite league-wide concern over how the Kenyon Martin situation shook out in China, the Nuggets remain committed to signing Wilson Chandler.
Steve Nash has not requested a trade, but if he should, the Suns would do all they can to accommodate his request.
On top of the Lakers interest in Ramon Sessions, the team has also discussed the possibility of adding Gilbert Arenas.
Berger suggests the following front office members have uncertain futures: Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld, Pistons team president Joe Dumars, Kings team president Geoff Petrie, Raptors team president Bryan Colangelo

Northwest Links: Chandler, Thunder, Timberwolves

February 1st, 2012 at 3:47pm CST by Luke Adams

In a must-read New York Times piece, Jim Yardley discusses the relationship between the NBA and China, with a focus on Wilson Chandler's decision to sign with the Zhejiang Lions. Agent Chris Luchey was fielding offers for Chandler from Italian teams as well — offers that allowed for an opt-out if and when the lockout ended.

"We had 15 different conversations about what happens when the lockout ends," Luchey said. "I told him 100 times: 'The season is going to go. There is going to be a season.'"

Ultimately, the Nuggets' restricted free agent decided to sign in China, meaning he can't return to the NBA until the CBA season ends. When he makes it back, it sounds like he'll draw plenty of interest.

Here are the rest of this afternoon's links on the Nuggets and their Northwest division rivals:

In a mailbag for the Denver Post, Benjamin Hochman discusses the likelihood of the Nuggets adding Chandler or Kenyon Martin later in the season.
Russell Westbrook, who recently signed a long-term extension to remain in Oklahoma City, tells SI.com's Sam Amick that all the questions about his relationship with Kevin Durant just brought the two players closer together.
Rick Adelman's offense makes it easy to succeed, and the Timberwolves shouldn't have any regrets about parting ways with players who struggle with it, opines Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune.
The Timberwolves' strong play is having a significant impact on the Hornets/Clippers Chris Paul trade, as Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com writes.

Kennedy On West, Sessions, Chandler

January 31st, 2012 at 5:48pm CST by Zachary Links

While it's early in this lockout-shortened season, things seem to be clicking for the Pacers thus far, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Indiana holds impressive road wins against the likes of the Bulls, Lakers, and Celtics and have yet to drop back-to-back games. What's been the key to their success? If you ask Darren Collison, the answer is David West. Here's more from Kennedy on the forward and other news from around the league..

When asked if he can see himself finishing his career with the Pacers, West didn't hesitate to answer in the affirmative. “This was the best opportunity for me. It gave me the chance to have a good time playing this game again and not have to deal with some of the outside issues that we were dealing with in New Orleans," the 31-year-old said. West signed a two-year pact worth $20MM with the club over the offseason.
The Cavaliers have been fielding plenty of calls for Ramon Sessions in recent weeks, sources close to the situation tell Kennedy. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reported yesterday that the Lakers have inquired about Sessions’ availability. Sessions’ agent, Jared Karnes, is set to speak with Cleveland GM Chris Grant this week to discuss his client’s future. The Cavs won’t trade Sessions unless the right offer comes along and multiple sources insist that no deal is imminent.
As we learned yesterday, the Raptors plan on making a run at Wilson Chandler when he returns to the NBA from China. The Nuggets, who have the rights to the 24-year-old as a restricted free agent, will also have to jostle with several contenders who hope to sign him to a one-year deal, according to Kennedy. However, not many teams have money to spend in March, which is why Chandler's best bet might be waiting until July to sign a long-term deal.