Denver Nuggets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Wilson Chandler Receives FIBA Clearance

February 28th, 2012 at 4:58pm CST by Luke Adams

4:58pm: The Raptors are "highly unlikely" to sign Chandler this week, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. If Chandler is a restricted free agent again this summer, Toronto could get involved, but would probably need his asking price to come down (Twitter link).

12:06pm: Wilson Chandler has received a FIBA letter of clearance and is now officially eligible for restricted NBA free agency, according to agent Chris Luchey (Twitter link via Sportando).

Restricted free agents aren't eligible to sign offer sheets as of March 1st, so Chandler will have just two days to try to secure an offer from a team besides the Nuggets. Denver would then have three days to match any offer.

If Chandler doesn't sign an offer sheet before Thursday, he could either sign with the Nuggets or sit out the season and become a restricted free agent again in the summer, when more teams could have interest (and money). A rest-of-season contract with the Nuggets would allow Chandler to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, but Denver has indicated it doesn't plan to negotiate such a deal.

The Raptors appear to have interest in Chandler, but only have about $4.3MM in cap space, so the Nuggets wouldn't have much trouble matching any offer Toronto made. Yesterday, we heard Chandler and Luchey were in contact with an Italian team about the possibility of a rest-of-season deal.

Wilson Chandler Rumors: Monday

February 27th, 2012 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, we heard that the Raptors may be looking to move Leandro Barbosa in order to make a contract offer to Wilson Chandler. While Chandler is drawing interest, two major obstacles stand in his way: He needs to receive FIBA clearance to officially become a restricted free agent, and he needs to be cleared before March 1st if he hopes to sign an offer sheet with a team besides the Nuggets. Here's the latest on Chandler:

Agent Chris Luchey tells Emiliano Carchia of Sportando that Chandler is in talks with an Italian team about a rest-of-season deal (Twitter link). If the 24-year-old were to play elsewhere and not return to the NBA this season, he'd be a restricted free agent again this summer, potentially scoring larger offers from teams with cap space. Perhaps Chandler and Luchey are trying to regain some leverage over the Nuggets by seriously weighing that option.

Odds & Ends: Bogut, Gasol, Kings

February 26th, 2012 at 9:54am CST by Chuck Myron

Peter Vecsey, in the same column in which he revealed the Knicks as potential suitors for Dwight Howard, hears that the Bucks are "definitely open to offers" for Andrew Bogut, who's currently out with a fractured left ankle. He also says the rumored signing of Rasheed Wallace by the Lakers lends credibility to the idea that the team could send Pau Gasol to the Celtics for Rajon Rondo and Jermaine O'Neal. Here's the rest of what's being whispered around All-Star weekend.

Restricted free agent Wilson Chandler's Chinese team has been eliminated from the playoffs, and he's expecting FIBA clearance soon, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Yesterday we noted that Chandler's clearance has been delayed. He's been a target of the Nuggets, his former team, and the Raptors of late.
A meeting today between Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson, the Maloof brothers and league officials could be make-or-break for the city's hopes to keep the Kings, writes Sacramento Bee columnist Ailene Voisin.
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com delves into the finer points of the lockout negotiations, and notes how close the league came to canceling the entire season.
Celtics team president Danny Ainge and coach Doc Rivers must turn into salesmen to attract top free agent talent to Boston as the team looks to replace its aging core, writes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
To get the Hornets to trade Chris Kaman to the Heat, it would take Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller, a price Miami is unwilling to pay, observes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Swingman Mike Dunleavy, who signed a two-year, $7.5MM free-agent deal with the Bucks this past offseason, is getting comfortable in what was already familiar territory in Wisconsin, writes Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. It's worth noting, though, that Dunleavy's dad is part of what's reportedly the leading potential ownership group for the Hornets.
Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside chronicles the fall of one-time top prospect Reeves Nelson.
Fred Kerber of the New York Post looks at how free-agent-to-be Deron Williams is showcasing his talents with little help in New Jersey.

Wilson Chandler’s NBA Return Delayed

February 25th, 2012 at 1:26pm CST by Daniel Seco

According to Yahoo! Sports writer Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter), free-agent forward Wilson Chandler may have to continue to wait before he can sign with a team thanks to the China Basketball Association. The CBA is refusing to provide Chandler with a letter of clearance, which would grant him the ability to play in the NBA. While Chandler will file an appeal with hopes of reaching a resolution within a week, there is a possibility that an agreement may not be reached until mid-March.

Chandler had reached an agreement with his team, the Zhejiang Lions, to release him from his contract once he helped the squad secure a playoff spot. Unfortunately for the former first-round pick, the CBA has full control over the letter of clearance rather than his team. Currently a restricted free-agent, the fifth-year player out of DePaul is being recruited heavily by the Raptors but is expected to return to the Nuggets.

After arriving in Denver via the Carmelo Anthony trade just over one year ago, Chandler averaged 12.5 PPG and 5.0 RPG during 21 regular season games before struggling during the playoffs.

Expired Trade Exceptions

February 25th, 2012 at 10:50am CST by Zachary Links

There were a great deal of trade exceptions obtained in the days leading up to last season's February 24th trade deadline and with a full year gone by they have expired. In certain trade scenarios, a team can acquire a traded player exception, which is worth a specific amount of money and can be used at any time over the next year.

For a more detailed refresher on how trade exceptions work, check out our glossary of salary cap exceptions and Larry Coon's CBA FAQ. Here's a look at the exceptions that expired this week..

Feb. 22nd

Nuggets: $4,640,536 (Carmelo Anthony), $1,675,000 (Renaldo Balkman), $854,389 (Shelden Williams)

Feb. 23rd

Hawks: $1,042,320 (Jordan Crawford)
Hornets: $762,195 (Marcus Thornton)
Jazz: $1,815,873 (Deron Williams)

Feb. 24th

Bobcats: $1,486,330 (Gerald Wallace)*
Celtics: $473,604 (Semih Erden), $473,604 (Luke Harangody)

*Charlotte used roughly $1.28MM of this trade exception plus a 2013 second-round pick to acquire center Byron Mullens from the Thunder in December.

Latest On Wilson Chandler

February 23rd, 2012 at 12:16pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

Nuggets’ Carmelo Trade Exception Expires

February 23rd, 2012 at 9:23am CST by Luke Adams

The record-setting traded player exception the Nuggets acquired when they traded Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks last February 22nd has expired. The exception was initially worth $17,149,244, the most in NBA history, though Denver has made use of it multiple times over the last year. By the time it expired, its value had been reduced to $4,640,536.

The Nuggets acquired three players whose salaries were absorbed within the Carmelo exception. They traded for Andre Miller ($7.27MM) in a deal with Portland in June, then acquired Corey Brewer ($3.06MM) and Rudy Fernandez ($2.18MM) from the Mavericks in December.

Along with the exception for Anthony, trade exceptions created in the same deal by the departures of Renaldo Balkman ($1.675MM) and Shelden Williams ($854,389) have also expired. For Hoops Rumors' up-to-date list of available traded player exceptions, click here.

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Denver Nuggets

Options For Wilson Chandler

February 23rd, 2012 at 8:49am CST by Luke Adams

Following Wilson Chandler's visit to Toronto yesterday, a lot of misinformation on the 24-year-old's options has been floating around the web. Because of Chandler's unique situation, returning from a season in China as a restricted NBA free agent, there's some confusion about where he can sign, and for how much. So let me run through Chandler's situation as I see it….

Typically, restricted free agents can sign offer sheets with opposing teams, which the free agent's team then has three days to match. In this case, the Nuggets still hold Chandler's rights, so they'd have the option of matching any offer sheet he signs elsewhere.
To become a restricted free agent, Chandler had to be extended a qualifying offer by Denver. Generally, the deadline to accept that one-year deal is March 1st. Assuming the Nuggets didn't move that deadline up, Chandler should be able to accept that qualifying offer (worth $3.1MM, pro-rated) and be eligible for unrestricted free agency after the season, if he doesn't get a long-term offer he likes. He could also sit out the rest of the season and become a restricted free agent again in the summer, when teams have more financial flexibility.
Restricted free agents aren't permitted to sign offer sheets after March 1st, according to CBA expert Larry Coon, so if Chandler intends to sign an offer sheet with the Raptors or any other team, he'll have to do so within the next few days.
ESPN.com's Marc Stein, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld, and SI.com's Sam Amick are among those writing that the Raptors have cap space (about $4.3MM) to put toward an offer for Chandler. It had previously been thought that the Raptors had used their mid-level exception and bi-annual exception to sign Aaron Gray and Gary Forbes respectively. If the team has available cap space, however, it must have renounced its $16MM in cap holds, signed Forbes using cap space, and signed Gray using its $2.5MM room exception for teams under the cap. Still, a contract starting at $4.3MM won't be enough to scare off the Nuggets, so if the Raptors are serious about Chandler, they could try to make a trade that clears more cap space, as Kyler reports.
If Chandler accepted his qualifying offer from the Nuggets and became an unrestricted free agent this summer, the Raptors and a number of other teams would have the flexibility to make him a much larger offer than they can right now. So it makes sense that agent Chris Luchey suggested to Amick that GM Masai Ujiri and the Nuggets are more interested in a long-term contract than a rest-of-season deal. Denver is in a good position to outbid rival suitors at this point, but bidding could get more competitive this summer.

Odds & Ends: Gordon, Chandler, Celtics, Martin

February 22nd, 2012 at 4:50pm CST by Luke Adams

As we look forward to a busy evening schedule highlighted by Hawks/Knicks and Mavericks/Lakers matchups, here are a few Wednesday links that we haven't covered elsewhere:

Asked about the possibility of signing with his hometown Pacers as a restricted free agent this summer, Eric Gordon sounded intrigued by the possibility, as Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star writes. "Coming back here would be a lot of pressure," Gordon said. "But I think it would be good for the fans. We'll see. You never know where this summer will take me."
Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post is curious to see how much money and how many years the Nuggets will offer Wilson Chandler, who may not be a future starter for the team. The Raptors' interest in Chandler may have an impact on his negotiations with Denver as well.
Injuries could force the Celtics to sign or trade for a big man, says A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.
Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld explores what the future holds for Kevin Martin, who doesn't appreciate the way the Rockets are handling his contract situation, according to Ingram.
If the Heat sign Mickell Gladness to a second 10-day contract, it will likely happen after the All-Star break, tweets Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida. With Joel Przybilla headed to Portland, I'd be surprised if Miami didn't re-sign Gladness, whose first 10-day deal just expired.

Wilson Chandler Talking To Raptors

February 22nd, 2012 at 3:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Wilson Chandler is in Toronto to discuss the possibility of signing with the Raptors, according to Sam Amick of SI.com (via Twitter). Agent Chris Luchey tells Amick that his client is staying in touch with the Nuggets, but is exploring all his options (Twitter link).

Chandler has already met with the Nuggets and expressed interest in joining the team on a long-term deal, if possible. As a restricted free agent, however, the 24-year-old is eligible to sign an offer sheet with another club before March 1st — the Nuggets would then have the opportunity to match it. Chandler, who still requires clearance by FIBA before he officially signs with an NBA team, hopes to get a deal done within a week.

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld reported late last month that the Raptors planned to "make life hard" for the Nuggets when Chandler returned from China. While I expect Chandler to end up signing with Denver, the DePaul product could become an unrestricted free agent this summer if he and the Nuggets don't work out a multiyear deal. The Raptors will have plenty of salary, including Leandro Barbosa's $7.6MM, coming off their books, so they could make a run at Chandler at that point if he's available. Chandler and Luchey may use that as leverage in the next few days as they make their case for a long-term deal with Denver.