Wilson Chandler represents a pivot point for the Denver Nuggets. He’s a rock solid wing who nears his 30th birthday playing some of the best basketball of his career. Free agency is just around the corner, too. (Chandler can opt out two years from now, and is owed a little over $12 million next season. Total bargain.)

Once an intriguing piece in the deal that sent Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks, Chandler missed all of last year thanks to his second hip surgery since 2012, but is somehow averaging a career-high 18 points and three free-throw attempts per game. The Nuggets struggle to score when he’s not in the game, he’s more effective in the non-restricted area of the paint than DeMarcus Cousins and Russell Westbrook, and, at this rate, nobody will be surprised if he wins Sixth Man of the Year.

But no good team will ever let Chandler lead them in shots, as he’s currently doing with Denver. The Nuggets rank 24th in net rating, 19th in offensive rating and dead last in points off turnovers. They aren’t expected to make the postseason. 

Despite having a bunch of cap space this summer, Denver's short-term improvement mostly depends on internal growth. The Nuggets are rebuilding whether they care to admit it or not, with the fifth-youngest roster in the league, and probable building blocks that are 19, 20, and 21 years old.

The question regarding Chandler’s place in their long-term plan then becomes: Will he sustain his current play (or an approximation of it) until Jamal Murray, Emmanuel Mudiay and Nikola Jokic begin to enter their respective primes? 

Given his age and injury history, smart money is on no, which makes trading him more rational than not. But if those factors cool Chandler’s worth on the open market when he can opt-out and become an unrestricted free agent, the Nuggets could re-sign him through his mid-30s as a score-first swingman who creates matchup problems off the bench.

But being that he still has one more very affordable year on his contract, Chandler’s usefulness would increase dramatically on a championship contender, or even any team one rung below: The Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, etc. 

Players like Wilson Chandler don’t grow on trees. He’s 6’8”, with enough length and quickness to avoid being the weak link in a switch-everything scheme. So long as he’s beside other players who can collapse the defense before a kick out (like trusty old Jameer Nelson), Chandler is a weapon. He’s up to 41 percent on catch-and-shoot threes, and is more accurate than Klay Thompson, Steph Curry, Kyle Lowry, Damian Lillard, James Harden and Carmelo Anthony when contested behind the line.   

Few players in the league have been more efficient as roll men; Chandler can either slip the screen, get into open space and attack, or pop out behind the three-point line for an efficient look at the basket. 

His aggressiveness is something potential trade partners love, especially coming back from an injury that some thought might glue him to the perimeter, but his responsibilities on a better team would have to change. (Again: He leads Denver in shots.) That’s fine. Chandler isn’t a primary or secondary ball-handler, but he can punish rotating defenders, get in the paint and finish outside the restricted area. 

Apart from his physical build, what makes him so solid on the other end is his intelligence. Chandler is a disciplined defender who understands the scouting report and knows who deserves a hard close-out and who he can let fire away. As a small-ball four, very few bigs can take him off the dribble.  

Every team in the league wants this exact type of player, but what’s the asking price? Being that the Clippers forfeited a protected first-round pick for Jeff Green at last year’s deadline, the cost could be steep.

Imagining him on a title contender is easy, but few have enough assets to get something done. The Nuggets are super young and set to add two potential lottery picks to their roster next season (the Memphis Grizzlies owe them a top-five protected pick this June). If they can flip Chandler to a middling team that wants to add a reliable veteran who fills a helpful role, Denver should bite.

One possible destination is the Minnesota Timberwolves. By surrendering his unprotected 2020 first-round pick (and waiving John Lucas III), Tom Thibodeau can add a dependable presence to his bench for a future asset that’s far more value in Denver than Minnesota. The Timberwolves are set to own the universe three years from now, and it’s hard to picture a late first-round draft pick helping them more then than Chandler can now.

The Nuggets have a difficult decision to make, but if they want to be honest with themselves, shopping Chandler is the smart move.