Kenneth Faried and Paul Millsap (Photo : Getty Images)
The Atlanta Hawks could be looking at swapping Paul Millsap for Denver Nuggets' Kenneth Faried, according to latest NBA trade rumors.
The Hawks will hope to continue their consistent playoff campaign despite losing Al Horford to the Boston Celtics this summer. The addition of Dwight Howard should somehow keep the Hawks afloat in the East, but with several key players gone, it could be a concern for the team whether they stick with what is left of their core, or revamp and explore trade options.
According to Dan Favale of Bleacher Report, the Hawks could explore trading Paul Millsap and Thabo Sefolosha to the Denver Nuggets for Kenneth Faried, Wilson Chandler and Gary Harris.
After losing Horford and Jeff Teague, to essential players in the team's success in recent years, it only makes sense for the Hawks to mull over tinkering their roster.
As noted by Favale, pairing Faried with Howard would raise frontcourt spacing issues for the Hawks, but both players would no doubt inject athleticism and interior defense to the team. Faried, who averaged 12.5 points and 8.7 rebounds for the Nuggets last season, should also help push the pace in the Hawks' transition offense.
"Faried won't make more than $13.8 million in a single season through 2018-19. That's second-unit salary in the new cap climate. Wilson Chandler can come in as Atlanta's stretch 4 and help salvage part of the dynamic the team is looking for from the Howard-Millsap tandem," Favale wrote.
Meanwhile, Chandler should provide the opposite of what Faried could bring to the Hawks. While Chandler's outside shooting suffered a dip in the past few seasons, the 29-year-old forward should still space the floor for the Hawks, posting a career 42.9 percent shooting from the field.
As for Harris, he would fit perfectly playing alongside Dennis Schroder and Kent Bazemore. Mike Budenholzer's ball-sharing offense should benefit him well and establish the 21-year-old shooting guard as an off-the-ball threat for the Hawks.
On the other hand, Millsap could, likewise, also be apt for the Nuggets, who have a talented backcourt to pair with the All-Star forward. Millsap's scoring versatility and ability to defend multiple positions should make him a desirable acquisition for Denver, who lacks the kind of player Millsap is.
Adding Millsap and Sefolosha could simplify the Nuggets' rotation at the frontcourt, giving way to the development of the team's young talents.
The Hawks have been linked to be shopping Millsap earlier this month in an attempt to clear cap room for Horford's max contract. Atlanta may have changed their stance in Millsap's availability after Horford spurn them over the Celtics, but a good amount of roster change may not be too bad for the Hawks, who are starting to develop a new team identity for the next season.
