Denver Nuggets star Kenneth Faried gave himself a massive boost in contract negotiations with the franchise after his Team USA FIBA World Cup performance and there is a chance a trade could happen in the future and teams like the NY Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat, Houston Rockets and LA Lakers could be interested if the Nugs shop their star.
According to Pro Basketball Talk, Faried likely gave himself a nice negotiating position with his performance in Spain, as he is set to be a restricted free agent next summer and is eligible for a contract extension coming up. The Nuggets are in a tough spot after taking a major step back from two years ago and if they don't improve soon, they may consider making a deal. The team knows it will take a decent deal to keep Faried and with him playing so well for Team USA and also developing in the NBA, they could be on the hook for a massive contract.
The Knicks have long been interested in Faried and a couple years ago they were mentioned in rumors regarding the forward. The Knicks just missed the chance at drafting Faried when he was picked and now that he is getting closer to free agency, the trade market could heat up again. The Lakers have money to spend and while they likely will be targeting names like Rajon Rondo or Greg Monroe next summer, the team could also look at a trade for someone like Faried. The team has the money to sign him long term and along with the Knicks they are about to get some cap relief as contracts expire.
Faried averaged 13 points and eight rebounds last season and that was a career high for him in scoring and just below what he did last season in Denver. Faried has been relatively healthy in his career and he has played in 80 games in back to back seasons and he has also raised his assist numbers in each of the past three seasons. The Nuggets had a bad year after ditching George Karl and seeing Masai Ujiri leave and now they have the chance to turn things around.
Basketball Insiders also reported on interest from the Toronto Raptors about Faried and they could pick up on that in the future. The report from BI says that the Raptors contacted the Nuggets last year at the trade deadline about Faried, but the two sides could not get a deal done. Ujiri knows Faried and his game from when he drafted him in Denver and the Raptors could be a sleeper in the chase for Faried if he is dealt.
This summer the Nuggets explored the Kevin Love trade for a hot second, offering Faried along with Wilson Chandler and another player. The team did not win out on the deal obviously, but it showed they are willing to trade Faried and that could come up again in the future. Faried should be getting paid in line with other players at his position like Taj Gibson and Nikola Pekovic. Faried played very well in Spain and was one of the best players for team USA, going for around 12.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.
