14 Trades Involving Kenneth Faried and a Western Conference Team
By Tim Hart
Oklahoma City Thunder
Trade Machine Results: Nuggets +2 Wins, Thunder Unaffected
This trade would give two solid offensive weapons to the Nuggets. On the Thunder’s side, while they aren’t projected to come out better from this trade, they would still be in good shape.
Why the Thunder would do it:
Having a Westbrook and Oladipo back-court could backfire for OCK. While they would be certainly be a threatening duo, the odds of their leading OKC to a conference title seems slim. Yes, swapping Oladipo for Harris might not change that. But, it would open up a good amount of cap space. Plus, according to the trade machine, it wouldn’t hurt their immediate chances.
So, this trade would land them Harris, a solid and very affordable SG to move forward with, and could also open up enough room to add another significant player to their squad. Giving up Kanter could leave the Thunder a bit thin at the center position, but they just acquired Joffrey Lauvergne, and would still have Steven Adams. With Kanter usually coming off their bench, his salary of over $17 million a year seems wasted.
The Thunder are also painfully thin at the PF spot. So, logically, adding Faried would be a smart move. He could come off the bench, or split the starting spot with Esran Ilyasova however their coaches see fit. Either way, the Thunder would be spending their money with more intelligence than they currently are.
This trade could payoff with much more success than the Trade Machine suggests.
Why the Nuggets would do it:
The Nuggets would likely give Kanter the starting center spot. This would make Nikola Jokic their PF, which makes sense. This is mostly because Jokic has less strength but better shooting abilities than Kanter. In today’s league, a shooting PF seems more valuable than a robust one. The Nuggets would have both a PF and C capable of spreading the floor. With Mudiay running the point, this has become crucial.
The Nuggets would also see a bit of an upgrade at their SG spot. Victor Oladipo can create off the dribble, shoot threes, and create assists. His addition would help Mudiay see more penetrating opportunities. Moreover, his three-point prowess over Harris would make help-defenders less likely to swarm.
Still, giving up Gary wouldn’t be easy as he continues to get better, and shows a great upside. Regardless, this deal would be great for the Nuggets, and would put their cap space to good use. A starting 5 of Mudiay, Oladipo, Gallinari, Jokic, and Kanter could certainly hold their own in the conference.
Next: Phoenix Suns