Veteran Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler says he isn’t unhappy but confusion about his role has led to frustration.
“It’s a tough situation. Our job is to play through rumors, and through whatever the situation is that may be tough,” Chandler said in an interview with The Denver Post on Friday. “So I’m focused on the task at hand, and whatever happens, happens.”
A report in the USA Today on Thursday said Chandler wanted out of Denver because he was frustrated with his role. Asked Friday if he wanted out, Chandler said, “I wouldn’t say that, but I would definitely like to be in something more consistent.”
Chandler is averaging a career-high 15.4 points per game and 30.2 minutes per game. “It’s been a pretty solid season,” he says.
He has, however, been in and out of the starting lineup, mostly due to injuries to other players that have impacted how Nuggets coach Michael Malone uses his rotation. Chandler has started 13 of the 44 games that he’s played in.
Chandler said he has not talked to Malone about his concerns.
Asked about his use of Chandler, Malone said: “If a guy is not happy with his role when he’s having a career year, that doesn’t add up to me. And I love Wilson. He started the season off the bench, we put him in the (starting) lineup. Now he’s back off the bench. But whether he’s starting or off the bench, he’s playing close to 30 minutes a night and he’s a guy that we play through and has a pretty high usage rate.”
And yet, Chandler is uneasy about the situation.
“It’s not necessarily about starting,” he said. “It’s just about more being consistent. If it’s 20 minutes, it’s 20 minutes and that’s cool. If it’s 35 minutes, if it’s 30 minutes; if it’s six shots, if it’s 12 shots. If it’s this group, if it’s that group.”
Chandler admits he was never promised a specific role or guaranteed minutes.
“It’s not that I’m unhappy,” he said. “Just being more consistent.”
Meanwhile, Malone insisted the Nuggets were not shopping second-year point guard Emmanuel Mudiay, despite an ESPN report saying otherwise. Nuggets general manager Tim Connelly called Mudiay on Thursday to tell him he was not on the trading block.
“Even though we’re playing well right now, what excites me more than being involved in a good streak – having gone 7-3 before (Nikola) Jokic got hurt – is our future. And Emmanuel is a big part of that future, as all of our young players are.
“Rumors are a part of it, and there are constant conversations going on between all 30 teams. Everybody is always looking to get better. So would I sit here and say not one of our players on our team is untradeable? No, I would never say that. But I can say that Tim Connelly is not actively shopping Emmanuel Mudiay. That’s just not accurate, that’s not fair and Emmanuel knows that.”
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