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NBA Trade Rumors: Kenneth Faried To Cavs, Kevin Love To Nuggets

By Adrian Lawhorn
Published on: 09:14 PST, Jul 31, 2016

One name that has been making the rounds this summer in NBA trade rumors is Kenneth Faried of the Denver Nuggets. Faried, Denver’s high-energy power forward, is one of the more intriguing players who are said to be available in the off-season trade market.

According to Mile High Sports, the Nuggets are actively shopping Faried with the hope they can unload him before the 2016-17 season begins.

“I’m hearing Denver is trying to get off Kenneth Faried, which I think they are, but if they have to move a decent wing to get off Faried and get something good in return, they’ve got a lot of wings now — young ones, mid-career ones — take your pick.”

As the NBA world was paying attention to Kevin Durant’s free agency drama and bigger names who have come up in NBA trade rumors, the Nuggets have been quietly working behind the scenes to deal Faried. A trade with the Atlanta Hawks involving Paul Millsap almost became a reality, but thus far, none of the trade discussion has produced any results for Denver.

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Fansided reports that another team may have entered the mix, none other than the defending NBA Champion Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs are another team that has been active in the free agent and trade market this summer, and they are investigating what type of compensation they could get for their starting power forward, Kevin Love. Swapping Kenneth Faried for Kevin Love could be the answer for these two teams as they try to change the chemistry of their respective starting lineups.

It is no secret that Kevin Love has not been a great fit in Cleveland, despite the fact that the team just claimed the NBA title. The Cavs feel that if they are to keep pace with the Golden State Warriors, they must improve further. Replacing Love with Kenneth Faried would give the Cavs a very active player who does the “dirty work” and doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGwvHKvfYI0&feature=player_detailpage

The Denver Nuggets are coming off a disappointing 33-49 campaign, and they simply need an influx of talent. Faried is a productive player, but he is better-suited to be on a team like the Cleveland Cavaliers where there is more talent around him — he’s at his best as a complimentary player who hustles and does all the “little things.” If Kevin Love is traded to Denver, he would assume a similar role to what he had during his years in Minnesota, where he flourished as an NBA All-Star.

Kenneth Faried is a five-year NBA veteran who was chosen with the 22nd overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. At six-foot-eight and 228 pounds, he is undersized for an NBA power forward, but he has proven his doubters wrong by averaging double-figures in scoring every year, and has shown to be a tenacious rebounder. Faried has also been very consistent over the course of his career, averaging 12.3 points and 8.7 rebounds in only 26.6 minutes per game.

Kevin Love was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies 5th overall in the 2008 NBA Draft, but he never played there. The Timberwolves and Grizzlies agreed to a massive seven-player trade during the draft that sent the No. 3 overall choice, O.J. Mayo, to Memphis. Love was a three-time NBA All-Star as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves. In 2014, Love was dealt to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite the team’s success, Love has struggled to find his niche as the third or fourth option in the Cavs’ star-studded lineup.

In the NBA, trade rumors come and go. This one is gaining steam, however, and makes sense for both teams. What do you think of a possible Kevin Love-for-Kenneth Faried deal?

[Photo by Tony Dejak/AP Images]

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