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NBA Draft Rumors: Nuggets to trade Kenneth Faried for lottery pick?

By Josh Hill

Jan 25, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried (35) shoots the ball during the first half against the Washington Wizards at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 25, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried (35) shoots the ball during the first half against the Washington Wizards at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Denver Nuggets need to find a way to get better in 2015-16, and trading a star player for a lottery pick might be what is called for. 

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When the Denver Nuggets fired George Karl two years ago, it plunged the team into darkness it still hasn’t crawled out of. The franchise believed that they had the pieces to win, but didn’t want to deal with Karl leading the team — despite his winning Coach of the Year that season.

Since then, Denver has been a dumpster fire and it’s led to a rebuilding process needing to take place. That’s the case this offseason as everyone seems to be up for sale, but the price the Nuggets receive in return for some of their best assets is what will determine how quickly they rebound.

According to Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post, the Nuggets might be looking at acquiring another lottery pick in this year’s NBA Draft.

Right now the Nuggets hold the No. 7 overall pick, and Dempsey believes the team will eye back-to-back lottery picks by trading with the Detroit Pistons a spot below them. As for what the Nuggets could use for trade ammunition, Kenneth Faried and Wilson Chandler would be natural names to throw out at forward when talking about acquiring a lottery pick without giving one up.

That’s a tall order for the Nuggets to deliver on, as Detroit may be closer to winning then Denver is, but they’re not a win-now team at the moment. The addition of Ersan Ilyasova helps the Pistons improve vastly, but adding a lottery pick could be big for the long term future of the team.

Then again, adding Kenneth Faried, J.J. Hickson or Wilson Chandler and pairing him with Ilyasova and Andre Drummond could make Detroit’s front court as deadly as their backcourt is shaping up to be with Brandon Jennings and Reggie Jackson healthy.

Faried and Hickson are more power forwards than they are small forwards, but if Denver wants another lottery pick it’s going to take more than asking nicely to make it happen.

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