Brooklyn Nets veteran forward Wilson Chandler has officially informed the team of his decision to opt out of the league’s return, according to ESPN’s Malika Andrews.
Chandler will not be joining the team when play resumes in Orlando, Florida, citing spending more time with his family (his grandmother, and three children primarily), as his main reasons for deciding to opt out.
In a corresponding move, the Nets will sign forward Justin Anderson, who had a 10-day contract with Brooklyn back in January, according to Anderson’s agent Mark Bartelstein (h/t ESPN).
“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 said, per the report. “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.”
Chandler played in 35 games during the 2019-2020 season (he was suspended for the first 25 games of the season for testing positive for a banned substance) clocking in 5.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game for Brooklyn.
With Chandler out, the Nets will likely turn to Taurean Prince and Rodions Kurucs to fill the void left by his departure.
Teams are scheduled to begin arriving in Orlando on July 7, and the Nets are set to resume their season against the Orlando Magic on July 31st.
