Although this NBA offseason was making headlines mostly because of free agency moves, an interesting trade happened on Tuesday as well. In a salary dump move, Denver Nuggets decided to send forward Wilson Chandler and a future second-round draft pick to Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for minor cash consideration.
This trade works well for both teams. Nuggets were trying to offload salary for some time now, and with Chandler being off their books, they will save $12.8 million in salary and $37 million in luxury tax. This will also allow them to sign Will Barton to an extension.
On the other side, Philadelphia 76ers will take Wilson Chandler’s contract into their available cap space but won’t have long-term consequences, since it expires in the summer of 2019. Besides the second-rounder, they will also get a veteran player who proved that he can be a contributor for an NBA title contender. He is also able to create his own shot, something 76ers badly need if they think about tackling the Eastern Conference title.
Wilson Chandler was selected 23rd overall by the New York Knicks in the 2007 NBA Draft. After a slim rookie campaign, Chandler established himself as a key role player for the Knicks. Still, he was traded to the Denver Nuggets in 2011, as part of the deal that sent Carmelo Anthony to New York.
During his NBA career, Chandler averaged 13.5 points, 1.8 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game. In the last season, he played in 74 games and averaged 10.0 points, 2.1 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game.
