Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried reportedly could be traded, despite having just signed a four-year extension. ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz reported Denver isn't sold on the power forward and only extended him because their "hand was forced."
Just because the Nuggets inked Faried to an extension doesn't mean he's going to play all four years of it in Denver. Arnovitz said the Nuggets felt pressure to sign Faried for PR purposes, not because they saw the 24-year-old as an integral part of the team's future.
"Several sources around the league insist the Nuggets' hand was forced with regard to Faried," Arnovitz wrote Monday. "... Faried was a fan favorite in Denver, multiple sources with knowledge of the Nuggets' thinking maintain the team 'isn't crazy about him,' particularly (coach Brian) Shaw. But with Faried's boffo showing last summer with Team USA and a loyal following in Denver, the media-conscious Nuggets caved, adding yet another imperfect 4-man to their lot."
The imperfection in Faried that Arnovitz is referring to is Faried's inability to play defense against elite power forwards. If Faried really is on the block, one potential suitor could be the Sacramento Kings, who were reportedly interested in pursuing Faried if he were to become a restricted free agent in July, prior to him signing his extension.
Denver is 2-7 to start the season, and things don't look like they'll get much better as the season progresses. Nuggets general manager Tim Connelly, while not yet appearing to be in panic mode, did indicate any player on the team could be traded for the right price.
"Every player on our roster is a movable asset," Connelly said, according to ESPN. "Certainly youd on't want to view players as assets, but there's a part of you in the front office that has to be brutally honest with how these guys are viewed leaguewide. We don't have a guy on the roster we'd have to heavily incentivize to move."
