Kenneth Faried, Nuggets Agree to New Contract: Latest Details, Comments and More

Signing Kenneth Faried to a long-term extension was surely one of the Denver Nuggets' main priorities this offseason. Now, with the regular season just around the corner, the deal is officially done. 

The Nuggets officially announced the move on the team's website:

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The Denver Nuggets have signed forward Kenneth Faried to a multiyear contract extension, General Manager and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly announced today.

“We value the energy and excitement that Kenneth brings night-in and night-out and we are thrilled to have reached an agreement on a contract extension,” said Connelly. “We are truly looking forward to watching Kenneth continue to grow as a player and leader for the Denver Nuggets.”

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Faried also added, "I’m ecstatic to be signing this deal. Words really can’t express it, I’m just all smiles right now. I want to thank God for this opportunity, and I’m excited to be a Nugget for the rest of my career."

Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski had the terms of the deal:

Faried was again excellent for the Nuggets last season, averaging 13.7 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. More importantly, he was a beast after the All-Star break, averaging 18.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 0.7 blocks while shooting 54.6 percent from the field, a huge boost for the Nuggets once J.J. Hickson was lost for the season with an ACL tear.

He also was a huge contributor for Team USA at the FIBA World Cup, becoming a starter and helping to lead the team to gold.

Manu Fernandez/Associated Press

Faried's true value for the Nuggets divides opinion, of course. He isn't a great defender, he's a bit undersized for his position (6'8", 228 lbs), and he doesn't shoot particularly well. On the other hand, his energy is infectious, and he often provides a spark for the Nuggets with his effort, tenacity on the court and athleticism. 

For that reason, many folks felt the Nuggets would ultimately strike the right balance with this extension. NBA on ESPN feels it will ultimately be a great value for Denver:

Head coach Brian Shaw previously commented on the pending deal and provided his thoughts on how Faried can continue to develop, per Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post.

"When his contract and all that stuff is taken care of, and it's done and all of the numbers come out, and all of the accolades that he got from this summer and how he ended up last season, he's going to have to learn how to play a different way as well," Shaw said. "Because he will be a point of emphasis for other teams to game-plan against, whereas before maybe he wasn't."

Faried will have to live up to this deal, of course, and the Nuggets would surely like to see him continue to improve his defense and shooting. On the other hand, he has increased his scoring each season and proved at the FIBA World Cup he can hang with the big boys.

As one of the faces of the Nuggets alongside Ty Lawson, Faried must continue to grow as a player. But given the impact he's made in his first three seasons, it probably would be unwise to bet against him.