“While we are extremely disappointed by the news, we are confident that Wilson will be at full strength to start next season”, Nuggets general manager Tim Connelly said in a statement. Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski Wednesday night, a labral tear in Chandler’s hip that he sustained during the preseason will force him to have surgery and undergo a six-month rehabilitation process.
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Chandler signed a four-year, $46.5 million contract extension in the summer. As a player who can man the 2, 3 and 4 positions on the court, as well as defend them, Chandler is a major asset the Nuggets will struggle to replace.
“Since his arrival in Denver in 2011, Wilson has embraced everything that has been asked of him and more”, said Nuggets President and Governor Josh Kroenke.
Chandler, 28, averaged 13.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 78 games (75 starts) last season, his fifth with the Nuggets. For Chandler, this marks the second time that he has fallen to a hip injury, the first one of which came back in 2012.
“I’m incredibly disappointed at this point, I put in so much work over the summer to make myself a better player”, Chandler said. “I was really looking forward to this year, being out there battling with my teammates, being a part of the change”.
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Wilson Chandler #21 of the Denver Nuggets dribbles the ball against the Phoenix Suns during a preseason game on October 16, 2015 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. Barton is averaging 12.3 points and 4.0 rebounds in 24.3 minutes per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 30 percent from three-point range. Though Denver has been running at a somewhat league-average pace to date, the Nuggets figure to up the tempo as the season progresses and rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay grows more comfortable.
