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NBA: 5 Players Your Favorite Team Should Avoid Trading For

By Gerald Bourguet

Dec 6, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Rajon Rondo (9) against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. The Pistons won 102-91.Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 6, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Rajon Rondo (9) against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. The Pistons won 102-91.Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 28, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried (35) reacts during the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 105-103. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Kenneth Faried

Kenneth Faried‘s name has been mentioned on the Denver Nuggets‘ trade block for a long time now, but there’s probably a reason no one’s ever taken the bait. As much as the Manimal has built his reputation on being an incredible athlete and absolute work horse on the boards, the improvements in the other areas of his game have been marginal.

With a youth movement taking center stage in the Mile High City, the 27-year-old Faried remains firmly situated in the “open for business” category. He’s averaging 9.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in just 21.7 minutes per game, he’s shooting 52.4 percent from the floor, and he’s never had a poor attitude about having such an inconsistent role over the years.

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But these numbers are close to career lows across the board, and with two years still left on his contract, his trade value is at an all-time low. His $12.9 million and $13.8 million salary for the next two seasons isn’t terrible under the NBA’s rising salary cap, but it’s an awful lot to pay for an undersized power forward who can’t shoot and would only start for a bottom-feeder team.

Being a second unit energy guy who’s often described with that typical “motor” buzzword seems like his NBA destiny at this point, but again, that’s a lot to pay for a role player off the bench — without even including the kind of assets that would need to be given up in a trade.

The Nuggets have to know their asking price for Faried can’t be too high, but at this point, is the Manimal even on anyone’s radar? It feels unlikely, and a playoff team giving up actual assets for Faried feels even more unlikely.