While they wait for Nene to make the final decision on the option year in his contract, the Denver Nuggets extended qualifying offers to three of their soon-to-be-restricted free agents: Arron Afflalo, Wilson Chandler and Gary Forbes. Now the Nuggets can match any offer the players may receive when free agency starts in July.
Though he played in just 69 games as a result of injury, Afflalo put up career-highs with 33.7 minutes, 12.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists in the 2010-11 season. Shooting 49.8 percent from the field, Afflalo often came up with key shots throughout the season.
Chandler was acquired before the NBA Trade Deadline as part of the Carmelo Anthony deal. His scoring dipped to 12.5 points in 21 games with the Nuggets, and depending on where the Nuggets go with the No. 22 draft pick on Thursday Chandler may be one player the Nuggets let go.
Gary Forbes joined Marcus Camby as a former UMass player to be on the Nuggets' roster. The 26-year-old rookie averaged 5.2 points in 12.6 minutes. He appeared in 63 games and started 11 throughout the season.