Former first-round pick Chandler Hutchison has decided to “step away” from basketball, he confirmed on his Instagram account.
An announcement from Hutchison’s G League team, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, first indicated that the 26-year-old had decided to retire. The Skyforce – Miami’s NBAGL affiliate – buried the news in a press release about the team acquiring forward Wayne Stewart, and Hutchison subsequently shared his own announcement in his Instagram story.
“Due to personal reasons I have decided to step away from playing basketball at this time and assess what is best for my future moving forward,” Hutchison wrote. “I don’t know what the future holds, but I truly believe God has a plan and this is a step in reaching something greater than I could ever imagine. Thank you and God bless!”
Hutchison’s announcement doesn’t explicitly mention retirement, so it’s possible he intends to take a hiatus and attempt a comeback at some point down the road.
If he doesn’t return to basketball, the former Boise State standout will finish his career having appeared in 103 total NBA games for the Bulls, Wizards, and Suns. He averaged 5.4 PPG and 3.7 RPG on .442/.309/.643 shooting in 17.4 minutes per contest.
Hutchison spent his first two-and-a-half NBA seasons in Chicago before being sent to Washington as part of a three-team trade at the 2021 deadline. He was subsequently flipped to San Antonio in a five-team offseason trade and was waived by the Spurs.
His last stint on the NBA was on a two-way deal with the Suns in the first half of the 2021/22 season. He was cut by Phoenix this past January and has been playing in the G League since then.
Hutchison was off to a good start in Sioux Falls this season, averaging 16.6 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 2.4 APG on .475/.615/.625 shooting in five games (33.8 MPG).
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