Wilson Chandler

Wilson Chandler
Wilson Chandler
Born	May 10, 1987 (age 39); Benton Harbor, Michigan, U.S.
Occupation	Professional basketball player
Years active	2007–2020

Wilson Jamall Chandler (born May 10, 1987) is a retired American professional basketball athlete who spent 13 seasons in the NBA, mainly with the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets. During the 2011 NBA lockout, he also competed for Zhejiang Guangsha in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). Chandler played collegiate basketball at DePaul over two seasons before entering the 2007 NBA draft, where the Knicks selected him in the first round. Measuring 6 ft 8 in. and weighing 225 lbs, he demonstrated flexibility by effectively covering both forward positions.

Early life

Chandler was brought up by his grandparents in Benton Harbor, Michigan, a city approximately three hours from Detroit and two hours from Chicago. His basketball journey began in fifth grade at Fairplain East Elementary School, part of the Benton Harbor Area Schools. While attending Benton Harbor High School, he earned Michigan All-State honors during his sophomore and junior years. As a junior, he averaged 22.4 points and 12 rebounds per game, helping his team achieve a 19–4 record and securing first-team All-State accolades from the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan. In his senior year, Chandler posted averages of 24 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, and four blocks per contest. His squad completed an undefeated regular season, ranked number one statewide, but was ultimately defeated in the regional final by eventual state champions Holt High School. He was honored as Mr. Basketball of Michigan in 2005.

College career

Although recruited by programs such as Michigan State, Ohio State, Indiana University, Purdue University, and the University of Dayton, Chandler committed to play at DePaul University in late 2004. During his freshman season, he averaged 10.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, ranking tenth within the Big East conference. Highlights included a performance with 17 points, eight rebounds, and four blocks against Creighton University, as well as pulling down 16 rebounds versus Dayton, marking the highest rebound total for a DePaul freshman since 1999. He was twice named Big East Rookie of the Week and earned a spot on the Big East freshman team. Chandler scored over 20 points on four occasions, reaching a personal best of 26 points. In his sophomore campaign, he improved to averages of 14.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game, received Big East all second team honors, posted eight double-doubles, and helped lead DePaul to a 20-win season culminating in an NIT quarterfinal appearance. He concluded his collegiate career ranked tenth on DePaul’s all-time list for blocked shots with a total of 86.

New York Knicks (2007–2011)

In April 2007, Chandler declared for the NBA draft and retained Chris Grier as his agent. Despite sustaining an injury prior to workouts with most franchises, the Knicks showed considerable interest due to GM Isiah Thomas’s ties to DePaul. On June 28, 2007, Chandler was chosen with the 23rd overall pick by New York.

He made his NBA debut on November 13, 2007, contributing eight points and two rebounds; his top performance that rookie season included scoring 23 points against the Orlando Magic. Chandler closed out his first year averaging 7.3 points per game.

During the 2008–09 season under coach Mike D'Antoni, Chandler’s responsibilities increased markedly; he appeared in all 82 games while averaging 14.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest. A breakout moment came when he tallied 32 points versus the Toronto Raptors. He also participated in the 2009 Rookie Challenge, where he tied for most rebounds on the sophomore squad.

In the following season (2009–10), Chandler averaged 15.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists across 65 games.

On November 11, 2010, after losing a front tooth during a matchup against the Golden State Warriors, Chandler returned to score an impressive 27 points along with three blocks. On February 9, 2011, he achieved a career-high with a 35-point game against the Sacramento Kings. That year he supported teammate Nate Robinson’s dunk contest efforts during All-Star Weekend by acting as a springboard for Robinson’s dunk.

Chandler delivered crucial defensive plays late in contests, including an important block against the Atlanta Hawks. The Knicks ended that season with a record of 29–53 but made strategic roster moves such as acquiring Tracy McGrady to create salary cap space aimed at signing star player Amar'e Stoudemire. Following these changes, Chandler scored 22 points in the season opener.

On January 6, 2011, Knicks General Manager Donnie Walsh confirmed intentions to secure Chandler on a long-term contract. Embracing a sixth-man role under coach D'Antoni, Chandler showcased versatility by playing multiple positions (2 through 4) and emerged as one of the premier wing shot-blockers in the league. Among his standout performances that season was a dominant 31-point effort against the then top-ranked San Antonio Spurs on January 4, leading to an upset victory.

Denver Nuggets (2011)

On February 22, 2011, Chandler was involved in a three-team trade that sent him to the Nuggets, while Carmelo Anthony was moved to New York via the Minnesota Timberwolves. Chandler made a strong first impression by scoring 16 points in his debut, including eight vital points in the fourth quarter against the Boston Celtics. He quickly adjusted to Denver's more fluid offensive style, joining a talented and dynamic squad that featured players like Danilo Gallinari and Raymond Felton. The Nuggets concluded the season with a 50–32 record, clinching the fifth seed in the playoffs without their former star Anthony. On March 23, Chandler demonstrated toughness by playing through a sprained ankle, contributing six blocks and hitting a decisive jumper to help defeat the San Antonio Spurs. In his initial playoff series versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, he posted nine points and eight rebounds but struggled overall, averaging just 4.8 points and 5.0 rebounds in limited minutes as Denver exited the postseason after five games.

Zhejiang Guangsha Lions (2011–2012)

During the 2011 NBA lockout, Chandler signed with the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association, where he was coached by former Dallas Mavericks head coach Jim Cleamons. Viewing this move as both a calculated risk and an opportunity amid uncertain labor talks, Chandler committed to a contract that did not include an opt-out clause, binding him through the All-Star break. Zhejiang aimed to strengthen their lineup by acquiring NBA talent such as Earl Clark, who later departed due to personal reasons, and attempted to bring in Tyson Chandler, who declined the offer. In his first game, Chandler delivered an impressive performance with 43 points, 22 rebounds, and four assists during a double-overtime victory over Tianjin Ronggang. He continued with notable outings including 28 points and 12 rebounds against Qingdao DoubleStar and 42 points along with 10 rebounds versus the Shandong Lions. Although his efforts helped Zhejiang reach the playoffs, Chandler did not participate in the postseason where the team was eliminated in a sweep by the Beijing Ducks.

Return to Denver (2012–2018)

Following Zhejiang’s playoff elimination, Chandler returned to the Denver Nuggets on March 18, 2012, signing a reported five-year deal worth $37 million. Unfortunately, his season was cut short after only eight games due to a left hip labral tear that required surgery, forcing him to miss the playoffs.

On July 11, 2015, Chandler agreed to a multi-year contract extension with Denver. However, on November 11 of that year, he was sidelined for the entire 2015–16 season after undergoing surgery to repair a right hip labral tear.

Chandler achieved a career-high scoring output of 36 points on March 7, 2017, leading Denver to a 108–96 win over the Sacramento Kings.

Philadelphia 76ers (2018–2019)

On July 6, 2018, Chandler was traded alongside a future second-round draft pick to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for cash considerations. After missing Philadelphia’s first nine games due to a hamstring injury, he made his debut on November 3 against the Detroit Pistons, contributing four rebounds in just ten minutes of play.

Los Angeles Clippers (2019)

On February 6, 2019, Chandler was part of a trade package sent to the Los Angeles Clippers along with Mike Muscala, Landry Shamet, and future draft picks. In return, the Clippers sent Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanović, and Mike Scott to Philadelphia.

Brooklyn Nets (2019–2020)

On July 8, 2019, Chandler inked a one-year deal at the veteran minimum with the Brooklyn Nets. However, on August 29, the NBA handed him a 25-game suspension after he tested positive for Ipamorelin, a prohibited growth hormone used during his quadriceps injury treatment. After serving the suspension, Chandler made his season debut on December 15, contributing to a 109–89 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Return to Zhejiang (2020)

Chandler rejoined the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions on September 8, 2020.

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| New York | 35 || 16 || 19.6 || .438 || .300 || .630 || 3.6 || .9 || .4 || .5 || 7.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| New York | style="background:#cfecec;"| 82* || 70 || 33.4 || .432 || .328 || .795 || 5.4 || 2.1 || .9 || .9 || 14.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| New York | 65 || 64 || 35.7 || .479 || .267 || .806 || 5.4 || 2.1 || .7 || .8 || 15.3 |- | style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2| | style="text-align:left;"| New York | 51 || 30 || 34.5 || .461 || .351 || .807 || 5.9 || 1.7 || .7 || 1.4 || 16.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| Denver | 21 || 19 || 30.6 || .419 || .347 || .810 || 5.0 || 1.6 || .7 || 1.1 || 12.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Denver | 8 || 6 || 26.9 || .392 || .250 || .833 || 5.1 || 2.1 || .8 || .8 || 9.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Denver | 43 || 8 || 25.1 || .462 || .413|| .793||5.1||1.3||1.0||.3||13.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"|

| style="text-align:left;" | Denver 
|62||55||31.1|| .416|| .348|| .724||4.7||1.8|| .7|| .5||13.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |  
| style="text-align:left;" | Denver 
|78||75||31.7||.429||.342||.775||6.1||1.7||.7||.4||13.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |  
| style="text-align:left;" | Denver 
|71||33||30.9||.461||.337||.727||6.5||2.0||.7||.4||15.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |  
| style="text-align:left;" | Denver 
|74||71||31.7||.445||.358||.772||5.4||2.1||.6||.5||10.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2 |  
| style="text-align:left;" | Philadelphia 
|36||32||26.4||.440||.390||.722||4..7|||2..0|||0..6|||0..5|||6..7
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | L.A.Clippers 
|15|||1|||15..1|||..348|||..325|||..714|||3..1|||0..7|||0..2|||0..2|||4..3
|- 
|style="text-align:left"| 
|style="text-align:left"|Brooklyn 
|35|||3|||21..0|||..404|||..306|||.870|||4..1|||1..1|||..5|||..3|||5..9
|- class="sortbottom"
|style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career
|676|||483|||30..0|||..443|||..306|||..770|||5..3|||1..8|||..7|||..6|||12..5

Playoffs

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2011 | style="text-align:left;"| Denver | 5 || 2 || 23.0 || .276 || .143 || .778 || 4.4 || 0.4 || 0.6 || 0.8 || 4.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2013 | style="text-align:left;"| Denver | 6 || 6 || 34.2 || .355 || .310 || .750 || 5.5 || 1.3 || 1.3 || 0.5 || 12.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2019 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Clippers | 4 || 0 || 13.0 || .313 || .100 || 1.000|| 1.5 || 0.5 || 0.5 || 0.0 || 3.8 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Overall | 15 || 8 || 24.8 || .331 || .239 || .800 || 4.1 || 0.8 || 0.9 || 0.5 || 7.4

CBA

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2011–12 | style="text-align:left;"| Zhejiang | 32 || 29 || 34.6 || .514 || .291 || .763 || 11.6 || 2.3 || 1.4 || 0.8 || 26.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2020–21 | style="text-align:left;"| Zhejiang | 3 || 3 || 21.0 || .500 || .348 || .667 || 7.7 || 1.7 || 1.0 || 0.7 || 15.3

College

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2005–06 | style="text-align:left;"| DePaul | 25 || 20 || 30.2 || .436 || .211|| .667|| 7.2|| 1.0|| 0.8|| 1.6||10.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2006–07 | style="text-align:left;" | DePaul | 34|| 32|| 31.7|| .450|| .333|| .654||6.9|| 1.4|| 0.6||1.4|| 14.6 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career Totals | 59||52||31.1|| .445|| .303|| .659||7.1||1.2|| 0.7||1.5||12.9

External links