Restricted free agent swingman Wilson Chandler did not receive an offer sheet from any other NBA team before the league's Thursday deadline, so his only options this season are to resign with the Denver Nuggets or sit out until the 2012-13 campaign. It's not necessarily that teams lacked interest in Chandler, but rather that they lacked sufficient cap space to offer him a deal the Nuggets would be unable to match.
Chandler and his agent had been preparing for this development for at least a week, as they got in contact with an unnamed Italian team about a potential deal for the remainder of his season. Still, the Nuggets hold the cards in this situation. Even if Chandler sits out or goes to Italy, his status as a restricted free agent sticks. The Nuggets will still have the right to match any offer sheet he signs with another NBA team.
The Nuggets could certainly use his talents as they push for a spot in the Western Conference playoffs, and Chandler said he likes being in Denver just a few weeks ago, but at this point he doesn't have another choice if he wants to play in the NBA.
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