The Nuggets Should Trade Kenneth Faried

As shocking as it may be for fans of Kenneth Faried, it is time to move on. He has given us some good years from his very young career, but the writing is on the wall. After signing a monster deal this off-season, he has done little to help the team get better — whether it’s due to injury or just being in a funk.

Let me first say, Faried has been one of the few bright spots for a team that has been in NBA limbo during his time as a Denver Nugget, before finally plunging into the lottery this year. He is everything an NBA team should look for in a player. He is a high character person who gives the most effort on the court, but he has hit an unfortunate stretch of games that has turned into a season long slump.

Trading Faried would not only give the Nuggets flexibility to possibly go out and land a key free-agent, but it could also produce multiple draft picks for a this years draft — one that is absolutely loaded with talent. Just think, trading Faried away to a lottery team in exchange for their pick and some players could not only change the future of the Nuggets, but the league’s balance of power in the Western Conference.

For a team that I fully believe is one or two players away from being a power in the West, how does D’Angello Russell and Jerian Grant sound? Or Willie Cauley-Stein and Stanley Johnson? Pretty tempting isn’t it?

Now imagine the team brings in a coach like Mike D’Antoni, or any coach who has a system and needs certain players to play certain rolls. How amazing would it be to have the resources to go out and get the guys to build that team, and not be shackled by Faried’s Manimal-sized contract and lack of jump shot.

A few teams that could go for a deal like this would be teams that also feel that they are one player away from success and do not want to wait for a rookie to develop, like the New York Knicks, Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers.

The Knicks, who have the best chance of landing the number-one overall pick, and a need for a rebounding big man, have expressed interest in possibly dealing their pick for a veteran player and rebuild via free agency. They could also unload an unfavorable contract as well, to free up cap-space.

The Kings are projected to have a top-six pick, and they have a glaring hole at power forward — needing someone to pair along with Boogie Cousins. Although they are probably looking for someone to stretch the floor, Faried could bring some much-needed toughness and help their defense.

The Pacers are probably the most realistic trade destination. With a need at power forward to pair next to Paul George and Roy Hibbert, a Faried trade could make the Pacers one of the deadliest teams in the East, and a true power in the NBA.

This may be viewed as a radical way to build a team going forward, but look at what the Minnesota Timberwolves did with Kevin Love. His situation was completely different from this one (Love wanted out of Minnesota and he was going to leave in free agency the following year), and Faried is completely content with the Nuggets (he just re-signed), but the results could be the same.

They turned a disgruntled player into Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and some draft picks, and so far they have been a lottery team again, but much like the Oklahoma City Thunder did with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook their first few years in the league, they took their time and built through the draft. Now they run our division and they are one of the best teams in the NBA, when healthy.

The Nuggets are long since removed from their 2009 season that saw them go all the way to the Western Conference Finals. They were defined by the Carmelo Anthony trade, and they have been labeled as the rag-tag group of players that play hard, but lack the one or two players that make good teams, great teams. I think we are all ready for the Nuggets to be relevant in the West again, this is the first step towards greatness.

What do you think? Should Faried be used to leverage the future? Should someone else be traded to fast-forward the rebuild? Should the Nuggets just hold on and hope they can rebuild in free-agency? Let us know in the comment section below.

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