Toronto Raptors Should Trade For Kenneth Faried

The Toronto Raptors are looking to take the next step in becoming a legitimate contender. Trading for Kenneth Faried could be a significant step in that direction.

The Toronto Raptors appear to have taken the next step in their growth as a franchise. They have a comfortable hold on third place in the Eastern Conference and appear to be the favorite to meet the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, unless something unforeseen happens.

Both Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozen have established themselves as top players at their position, Jonas Valanciunas continues to develop as a promising center for the team and DeMarre Carroll is a premier three-and-defense forward once he returns from injury. But as it stands, the team still does not appear to have the requisite pieces to have a shot at making the NBA Finals.

The most obvious hole in their full strength starting lineup is at the power forward position. While Luis Scola has been fantastic for the team, a bonafide starter that would enable the team to bring him off the bench could really strengthen their rotation.

With Lowry turning 30 in March, the team cannot afford to let his prime slip away with a roster that doesn’t have a chance to progress to the Finals. Obviously the team also can’t afford to disrupt the chemistry that the team’s core has developed over the years, so a potential trade shouldn’t involve any of the team’s starters.

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The Trade

Toronto Raptors send: Terrence Ross, Patrick Patterson
Denver Nuggets send: Kenneth Faried

Why Toronto would do it

With DeRozan’s play this season erasing any doubt that he’s the shooting guard of the future for the Raptors and Carroll locked up for the next four years, there really isn’t much room for Terrence Ross, especially with other young prospects like Norman Powell and Bruno Caboclo that will be looking for minutes in the near future.

Patterson can provide valuable floor spacing and defense, but was unable to earn the starting power forward spot this season. The Raptors have two solid backup power forwards, but no true starter. They can afford to move Patterson in an effort to get a true starter at that position and Faried fits that role well.

Faried would be a great weapon for Lowry in the pick and roll and would fit the Raptors up and down style like a glove. Faried has also shown an increased dedication to the defensive side of the floor and was originally selected by Masai Ujiri, so there’s a connection already formed between those two. A dynamic player like this is hard to come by:

Why Denver would do it:

Denver currently in a rebuild and nowhere near being a contender. Accumulating as many assets as possible could help put them in position to pull off a trade for a star in the future. Patterson gives them a replacement power forward who is the same age as Faried, 26, in addition to Ross who could benefit from a change of scenery and is under contract for the next three years.

The team stays young, likely improves defensively and increases the number of assets they have. Patterson is a career 36.3 percent three point shooter and would help give Emmanuel Mudiay more space to operate in the lane.

This is one of those trades that could potentially help both teams, as both keep youth, but helps Denver acquire more talent while Toronto clears up a logjam in the name of upgrading the one weak link in their starting lineup. If necessary, Toronto could probably throw in a second round pick to get the deal done.

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But I believe that being aggressive in their search to find a power forward upgrade would be a wise move, given the limited window they have with Lowry.

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