Brooklyn Nets forward Wilson Chandler has informed the team he will not be taking part in the resumption of the season in Orlando, and it sounds like he is the first player in the NBA to back out due to coronavirus concerns.
Chandler told ESPN’s Malika Andrews on Sunday that he has made the difficult decision to not join his teammates in Orlando. The 33-year-old cited “the health and well being of my family” as the reason.
“As difficult as it will be to not be with my teammates, the health and well-being of my family has to come first,” Wilson said. “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.” https://t.co/bN37YdF9zX
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) June 28, 2020
Chandler appeared in 35 games and made three starts for Brooklyn this season. He averaged 5.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. The Nets are currently in seventh place in the Eastern Conference and have a strong chance of making the playoffs, but they are extremely shorthanded with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant both out. The loss of Chandler will hurt their depth even further.
Several NBA players have now opted out of the resumed season in Orlando for a variety of reasons. The NBA announced this week that 16 of 302 players who were tested for COVID-19 tested positive.
