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Golden State’s loss could be Brooklyn’s gain.
The Brooklyn Nets have shown interest in forward Alfonzo McKinnie, according to ESPN Insider Bobby Marks, who was also Brooklyn’s former Assistant GM.
McKinnie was a casualty of the hard salary cap as the Warriors wanted to make room for Marquise Chriss, who they signed at the start of training camp. It appears McKinnie won’t be unemployed for long.
“Expect Brooklyn to be at the front of the line if former Warrior Alfonzo McKinnie clears waivers,” Marks wrote. “The Nets have an open two-way spot available and can sign the forward as a replacement for the suspended Wilson Chandler.”
Chandler was suspended for the first 25 games of the season for violating the league’s drug abuse policy.
If McKinnie is signed before the start of the regular season, he can be immediately added to the active roster. Brooklyn opens the regular season next Wednesday night at Barclays Center against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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McKinnie Will Be Missed by the Bay
McKinnie spent just one season with the Warriors, but his role increased steadily during the playoffs when Golden State had injury problems. McKinnie averaged 10.7 minutes in 22 postseason appearances with the Warriors. During the regular season, he averaged 4.7 points and 3.4 rebounds per game and shot 35.6 percent from three-point range.
With the looming suspension of Wilson Chandler, Brooklyn has an immediate need for some depth at small forward, a role McKinnie could fill immediately.
The 6-foot-8 McKinnie went undrafted in 2015 out of Wisconsin-Green Bay. McKinnie also played two seasons at Eastern Illinois. After bouncing around in the European professional leagues for two seasons, McKinnie found a home with the Windy City Bulls of the G-League. He was signed by the Toronto Raptors as a free agent in 2017 before moving on to Golden State in the summer of 2018.
Chandler On The Shelf
On August 29, the NBA suspended veteran forward Wilson Chandler 25 games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Chandler claims it was a misunderstanding that occurred when he was rehabbing from an injury during the offseason.
“During my injury rehab process, before I signed with the Nets, I was prescribed a treatment that included small doses of a substance recently added to the NBA’s prohibited substance list,” Chandler said in a statement, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Wilson Chandler:
During my injury rehab process, before I signed with the Nets, I was prescribed a treatment that included small doses of a substance recently added to the NBA’s prohibited substance list. I did not realize this substance was banned, and neither did the doctor…
The league announced the suspension was for testing positive for Ipamorelin. According to steroid.com, Ipameorelin is a growth hormone that releases peptide. It is considered a mild growth hormone and has very little side effects, however it is still on the NBA’s banned substance list.
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