Suggestions of the Brooklyn Nets trading for energetic power forward Kenneth Faried had been circling these days as the Denver Nuggets are reportedly set to begin their youth revolution.
Hoops Habit indicated that the Nuggets are in for "a new era" this upcoming season and that Faried is "deadweight that must be disposed of".
Head coach Mike Malone's roster is currently brimming with young talent headed by starting point guard Emmanuel Mudiay and so the team is set to "continue to try and grow together as a unit", the report said.
The Nuggets have three of the most promising young big men in the league right now with Nikola Jokic, who was third in Rookie of the Year selection last season, Jusuf Nurkic, and Joffrey Lauvergne. Shooting guards Gary Harris and Will Barton are expected to continue their development from last season as well while rookies Jamal Murray, Juan Hernangomez, and Malik Beasley are expected to blend in with their fellow youngsters.
Because of their youth, some of the older players in the lineup may be seen as an excess to the team's requirements moving forward and one of those players rumored to be a surplus is undersized power forward Faried.
Although Faried is not that old, he will turn 27 in November, he is timeworn as compared to what the Nuggets are trying to build. Also, his lack of outside shooting at his position is keeping Denver from acclimating to the NBA's small ball norm, which gives the team quite a disadvantage from those who utilize stretch fours in their lineups.
The article mentioned that Denver would be "smart to dispose of him sooner rather than later", particularly before the new season starts while Faried still has high value with other squads.
With Faried's contract expiring after the 2018-2019 season, it seems highly likely that he will choose to test the free-agency market then, and so a trade at the present moment while his value is still high would make sense.
With that, Fansided suggested that a trade with the Nets should be considered as Brooklyn would be happy to mix Faried in a starting lineup with Brook Lopez and Jeremy Lin already in it.
The report noted that "depending on what Denver's asking price is, this could be a worthwhile move for the Nets" as head coach Kenny Atkinson's options for starting power forward are not promising, to say the least.
Right now, Atkinson can choose between third-tier player Trevor Booker, an aging Luis Scola, and an inexperienced sophomore Chris McCullough to start at the four spot, which does not look reassuring for the Nets.
