Kenneth Faried (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The Denver Nuggets could acquire Nerlens Noel from the Philadelphia 76ers and trade Kenneth Faried to the Toronto Raptors in a three-way blockbuster deal that could address the needs of all mentioned teams.
The Nuggets have been reportedly actively exploring the trade market, which could likely mean the end of Kenneth Faried's stint in Denver, according to ESPN's Zach Lowe. While Faried has been considered as one of the Nuggets' key players in recent years, Lowe claimed that the Nuggets are considering to bring Faried off the bench, sparking trade speculations for the "Manimal."
"The team I heard the most about in terms that they still might have moves up their sleeve other than Boston in Vegas is Denver," Lowe told ESPN's Marc Stein in the Lowe Post podcast.
"His [Faried] salary is that of the best bench player on the team." Lowe added. "I think even Denver wants to explore bringing him of the bench."
With other teams also looking to address their respective needs, it won't be hard for the Nuggets to look for trade partners if they really intend on trading Faried. According to Ryan Mccabe of NuggLove, a fan site hosted by Sports Illustrated, one potential trade the Nuggets could explore is orchestrating a blockbuster deal involving the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors.
In Mccabe's trade scenario, the Nuggets would send Faried to the Raptors, while receiving Nerlens Noel and Carl Landry from the Sixers. The 76ers then acquire Terrence Ross and future picks from Toronto and Denver.
The 76ers have been long considered as a team likely to make a trade in the offseason, with Philly in glaring need to address the team's frontcourt logjam. While many peg Jahlil Okafor as the odd man out in Philadelphia, Noel has also received a fair share of trade rumors that consider him as the expendable piece.
Such deal would be beneficial for the Raptors, who could be in need of a frontcourt boost after losing Bismack Biyombo this summer. Faried, who has career averages of 12.3 points and 8.7 rebounds a game, could share minutes with Patrick Patterson, but his defensive intensity and ability to fit well in a fast paced offense should give him an edge over the latter.
Ross, on the other hand, would give the 76ers an athletic guard and an outside threat, a type of player the team needs playing alongside Ben Simmons.
Meanwhile, adding Landry and Noel would clog the Nuggets' frontcourt, but, as noted by Mccabe, the team could waive Landry, who could eventually sign with a contending team.
As for Noel, his ability to protect the rim and crash the boards should make him a desirable fit for the Nuggets. Noel's limited offense won't be much needed as well, with the team having plenty of frontcourt pieces who could light up the scoreboard.
It remains to be seen whether such blockbuster deal could happen, but considering all the pieces involved in the proposed scenario, there is so much to ponder about its possibility.
