Brooklyn's Wilson Chandler has violated the NBA's PED policy, and he'll miss a large chunk of the upcoming NBA season as a result.
The 32-year-old forward has tested positive for Ipamorelin and will be suspended for the first 25 games of 2019-20, the league announced Thursday.
Ipamorelin stimulates growth hormone release in the user's body and typically, though not exclusively, is used to either add lean muscle mass or help with weight loss.
"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, via ESPN. "I did not realize this substance was banned, and neither did the doctor. I accept responsibility and apologize to my Nets teammates, coaches, front office and fans for this mistake. I will continue to work hard to prepare for the upcoming season."
The Nets signed the 12-year veteran to a one-year, $2.5 million contract alongside Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and DeAndre Jordan this summer and his suspension will certainly affect the Nets' depth.
Durant will likely miss all of this year while he recovers from the ruptured Achilles he suffered in the 2019 NBA Finals, but Brooklyn still has other options at the wing.
Caris LeVert, Joe Harris, Spencer Dinwiddie, Theo Pinson and Taurean Prince could all log some frontcourt minutes if the Nets are undermanned at the small forward spot.
Brooklyn's young team still has an elite point guard in Irving and a supporting cast that was good enough to post a 42-40 record and place sixth n the Eastern Conference last year.
The Nets traded away a blossoming star in D'Angelo Russell to the Warriors and bet on All-NBA talent over the offseason, but it's already experiencing difficulty with new personnel.