Kenneth Faried (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The LA Lakers are still entrenched in NBA trade rumors despite their resolve to develop their young players.
Rumors are swirling about a possible trade for Kenneth Faried, a former star of Team USA (in 2014) and known as a fierce defender and rebounder who brings a lot of energy into the game. The Lakers could use veteran talent at every position but to get Faried, they have to part with one of their promising young core and that's where the situation gets complicated.
In the rumor as chronicled in Sports Illustrated team blog Nugg Love, the Denver Nuggets send Kenneth Faried along with guard Gary Harris to the LA Lakers for Julius Randle and Nick Young.
One way to look at this proposal is that both the Nuggets and Lakers want to get rid of each player (Faried and Young) and they both need to add sweeteners (Harris and Randle) for the other team to accept (which is why the players traded are virtually the same positions).
Will this trade really happen? From the point of view of the Denver Nuggets, Randle has upside and is clearly the prize of this trade. Faried is serviceable but Randle could become a complement to Nikola Jokic going forward. They lose Gary Harris and replace him with Nick Young (whom the Nuggets don't really need).
For the Lakers, the goal is letting go of Nick Young, but they have invested too much for Randle and they view him as an integral piece moving forward.
Randle can work on the post but he can also drive to the basket. At times, the Lakers have let him handle the ball and make the play. They are grooming to play a similar role as Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors. While it's still a big question mark whether he will develop into such a player, Faried is a definite "no."
Faried is limited offensively as he gets his points through hustle and rebounding. While every team needs that, Randle has too much upside just to give up for an energy guy. If it's just to trade Nick Young, the Lakers would rather waive him and not lose Randle. Harris could be a contributor but still not enough to justify the move.
If the Lakers would be reluctant to pull the trigger on this trade, the Nuggets' side are not in favor of it as well. SB Nation team site Denver Stiffs called it "a mistake." They were not so sold on Randle's raw potential and called Young "a trash player, a chucker."
Since both teams don't seem to want this trade, it's unlikely to happen. There is no compelling motivation for both sides to make the trade except to get rid of players on the block. It would be shocking if this rumored trade actually takes place.
