Kenneth Faried Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz and Speculation on Nuggets Star
Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried has long been the subject of trade speculation, and one team that has reportedly expressed interest in the 26-year-old is the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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Report: Timberwolves Mulling Faried Pursuit
Wednesday, June 22
According to Sean Deveney of Sporting News, the T-Wolves are considering a move for Faried because of head coach Tom Thibodeau's favorable opinion of the former Morehead State standout.
Faried averaged 12.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game last season, and his shooting percentage of 55.8 was his best since his rookie year in 2011-12.
While Faried has never approached All-Star status, he is a consistent, reliable player at both ends of the floor who could be a strong complementary contributor on a good team.
Minnesota is trending upward because of the emergence of big man Karl-Anthony Towns and guard Andrew Wiggins, and Faried would add another weapon to Minnesota's arsenal.
The Timberwolves have the No. 5 overall selection in the 2016 NBA draft on Thursday at their disposal, but they may not be willing to part ways with that asset in exchange for Faried, especially since acquiring him will require a financial commitment of over $12 million next season.
Faried's rough-and-tumble style in the paint could mesh well with Towns and his ability to score from further out, which would seemingly put Minnesota on track toward being a playoff team in the Western Conference.
Denver seems to be going into rebuild mode and focusing on younger players such as 20-year-old Emmanuel Mudiay, 21-year-old Gary Harris and 21-year-old Jusuf Nurkic. If it can find a way to clear Faried's salary off the books while still getting a solid return, that may prove to be the best possible move for the team's long-term viability.
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