"Wilson Chandler won't be on the Nuggets' roster this coming season, if there is a season.

The restricted free agent signed a contract with Zhejiang Guangsha of the Chinese Basketball Association, his agent said Monday. Chandler doesn't have an out clause in the contract, so if the lockout is resolved, Chandler can't leave his team and return to the NBA, the way Lithuania-bound Nuggets guard Ty Lawson can.

"Trust me, we discussed all of the risks and how being a trendsetter can be seen as a positive or a negative — most people will view it as a negative," Chandler's agent, Chris Luchey, said by phone. "But we discussed all the risks and steps."

Chandler, 24, will make between $1.7 million and the $3.1 million qualifying offer the Nuggets made. He will play for coach Jim Cleamons, a longtime Phil Jackson assistant for the Bulls and Lakers.

"He's very excited," Luchey said. "He's looking forward to it. The kid wanted to play, and it's an opportunity to play. It's similar (to the NBA), in regards to three games a week and playing for a great coach, a guy who's seen it all."

After this season in China, Chandler will again be a restricted free agent for the Nuggets next summer. The small forward averaged 12.5 points per game for Denver, which acquired him in the February trade involving Carmelo Anthony."