14 Trades Involving Kenneth Faried and a Western Conference Team
By Tim Hart
Golden State Warriors
Trade Machine Results: Nuggets -1 Wins, Warriors Unaffected
Fans might expect more dramatic results from this proposed trade. The Trade Machine counters this, suggesting a surprising balance to the proposition.
Why the Warriors would do it:
Steph Curry’s contract is up after this coming season. He will be due for an enormous pay raise. With the addition of Kevin Durant, the Warriors simply will not be able to afford keeping all of their starters. Trading away Klay Thompson is probably their best option, as Steph Curry and Draymond Green are simply too valuable.
Thompson is a star, undoubtedly; but, his presence among the rest of the Warriors’ stars is the least crucial. Trading him away for Gary Harris would open up a lot of cap room. Logically, this would mean giving Curry the pay-raise he deserves. They would save roughly $15 million in cap space.
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This trade would also give them a solid replacement for Thompson. Sure, Harris lacks the dead-eye three-point abilities, but he does carry a focus on defensive pressure, and holds similar fundamental reliability. Plus, all players seem to become three-point gods once they join the Warriors, so why should Harris be any different? He has become a closely watched prospect as of late, and the Warriors would likely be happy to have him moving forward.
Harris has played well against the Warriors in the past, and they likely have a respect for his game. They might not mind this trade at all, actually. Yes, they would lose a reliable bench scorer in Livingston, but they would also acquire Jameer Nelson, whose veteran experience and relevant passing abilities could replace Livingston’s scoring with assists. Plus, for some reason, Nelson seems like he would look really good in a Warriors Jersey.
Kenneth Faried would be an excellent addition to their second unit. Most likely, he would come off the bench to replace Draymond Green. Green loves logging heavy minutes, and Faried thrives on short bursts of furious energy. They could make for an incredibly complimentary rotation at the PF position, leaving the Warriors even stronger than they already seem.
Why the Nuggets would do it:
They would have Klay Thompson on their team. Star acquired. Mission accomplished.
As if that isn’t enough, Livingston would be a great addition to any NBA bench, as would Igoudala. Igoudala could even start, giving the Nuggets a seriously threatening small-ball lineup of Mudiay, Thompson, Gallinari, Igoudala, and Jokic.
Their bench would be filled with talent, with Livingston, Barton, Chandler, Arthur, and Nurkic, likely making up the second unit. Additionally, Nuggets rookies would get more time to transition into the NBA. They would also now have an incredible role model/mentor in Klay Thompson. This deal could transform the Nuggets into a considerable playoff threat overnight.
Next: Houston Rockets