NBA Trade Rumors: Latest on Iman Shumpert-Kenneth Faried Buzz and More

The most widely reported of all NBA trade rumors in recent days has been a prospective one-for-one swap between the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets.

New York would hypothetically send swingman Iman Shumpert to Denver for undersized power forward Kenneth Faried. The swap would to fortify the Knicks' frontcourt depth while giving the Nuggets help on the perimeter on both ends of the court.

Since there are multiple accounts of the potential deal, there are slightly differing reports, but it seems likelier that the two sides won't agree to terms.

Let's take a closer look at the buzz surrounding Shumpert and Faried, along with a couple of other developments that have surfaced.

Shumpert-Faried Deal Off?

A report on Wednesday by Frank Isola of the New York Daily News suggested that talks between the Knicks and Nuggets were heating up, but did note that no deal is imminent.

Isola notes that Shumpert has "fallen out of favor" with both head coach Mike Woodson and owner James Dolan, which makes the former first-round pick an ideal trade chip.

Shumpert is only 23 and is a stellar, versatile defender whose offensive game still has upside to grow. Meanwhile, Faried is a viable option to plug into the Knicks' lineup with Amar'e Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin both restricted with their health.

Tyson Chandler also just went down with a fractured fibula, creating a void for the time being on New York's front line.

However, just hours after Isola's report, Marc Berman of the New York Post cited sources who said Shumpert has been shopped to multiple teams. Berman also noted that the talks centering around a swap for Faried "went nowhere."

Woodson had an interesting take on the situation, per Berman:

"

I always try to tell young players if your name is being floated in trade rumors, that’s a good thing. It means someone wants you. It’s not bad. The best players get traded. At the end of the day, you still got to play. You’re still in a Knick uniform.

"

HOOPSWORLD.com's Alex Kennedy and Yahoo! Sports insider Adrian Wojnarowski don't believe Faried is on the move, either:

Other than Shumpert and perhaps a first-round draft pick, Knicks general manager Steve Mills doesn't have many other assets to offer if he wants to land Faried.

Derrick Williams on the Block

Wojnarowski reported on Tuesday that the Minnesota Timberwolves are essentially trying to appease superstar Kevin Love and convince him to stay ahead of his likely 2015 free agency.

To do that, Minnesota is seeking veterans to bring in. Absent many established players to trade, the team is making 2011 No. 2 overall pick Derrick Williams available, along with Alexey Shved.

Given Williams' gaudy draft status, though, he seems to be the likelier player to be moved if the Timberwolves want the best asset possible to help Love and the current squad mount a playoff push in the next two seasons.

Kennedy notes that the organization's President of Basketball Operations Flip Saunders didn't seem willing to deal Williams this summer, but now appears open to the idea:

Williams is averaging just 17.9 minutes per game this season and has averaged 10.3 points and five rebounds per contest in his brief career.

With such minimal early returns on such a pricey investment, it may prove difficult for Saunders and Co. to move Williams for a prospective prominent contributor to Minnesota's rotation.

Cleveland Cavaliers and Sacramento Kings "Active" in Talks

Although the Kings laid a beatdown on the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday evening, they are still off to an uninspiring 2-5 start, while the Cavs sunk to 3-6 in getting blown out by the Timberwolves.

According to Kennedy, both teams have been active in discussing trade scenarios, but are not in official negotiations at this time:

Sacramento's roster is a wreck, with so many perimeter players jockeying for minutes such as Greivis Vasquez, Isaiah Thomas, rookie first-rounder Ben McLemore and Marcus Thornton, among others.

With Cleveland rather set in the backcourt, sporting the likes of Kyrie Irving, Jarrett Jack and Dion Waiters, it's a little unclear as to where a deal could be struck between the two sides.

Some of the Cavs' lottery picks in recent years—Waiters, this year's No. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett and Tristan Thompson to name the standouts—have been questionable. Free agent acquisition Earl Clark has also been benched out of the starting lineup already.

Perhaps one of those four could be on the block despite their brief tenures with the team.

It will be interesting to see what kind of deal will play out if these two front offices reach an agreement.