Denver Nuggets: Gallinari, Faried on the Trade Block?

The Denver Nuggets do not need to fool themselves; they must trade their key pieces and continue to rebuild to contend in the Western Conference.

Despite a come-from-behind victory against the Chicago Bulls last night, the Denver Nuggets find themselves sitting in 11th place in the Western Conference standings, five games behind the Utah Jazz for the eighth seed. Entering the season, the Denver Nuggets looked to compete in the Western Conference; however, some untimely injuries have held them back from the performances they expected heading into this year.

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The Denver Nuggets must decide their fate for the 2015-2016 season before the February 18th NBA trade deadline. The Denver Nuggets possess two key pieces that almost any team in the NBA would love to acquire in efforts to make a playoff push. With the Denver Nuggets in the midst of a rebuilding year, they should shop Kenneth Faried and Danilo Gallinari at the trade deadline in efforts to get some key, young pieces back.

The Denver Nuggets signed Kenneth Faried through the 2018-2019 season, so that is an appealing situation for teams looking to add the power forward to their lineup. Faried took the NBA by storm as a rookie, and he continued to develop with age. However, in his age-26 year, Kenneth Faried looks to pinnacled in his development; thus, the Denver Nuggets might find it beneficial to trade the star power forward.

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Kenneth Faried is a fan-favorite in the Mile High City, so if any team would like to acquire the 26 year old power forward, he would not come cheap. The Denver Nuggets are sitting on a few first round picks for the 2016 NBA Draft, and surely, they would look to acquire some young talent, mixed with more picks. Over the past few seasons, the Denver Nuggets have drafted solid prospects, who they hope help turn around the franchise in the coming years.

Kenneth Faried presents a unique situation for the Denver Nuggets, because he is still only 26 years old. So, if the Denver Nuggets believe they can turn the franchise around in the next year or two, it makes sense for them to hold onto Faried; however, if they see this rebuild taking closer to four years, they should get value out of him while it is arguably at its peak.

Over the past three seasons, Kenneth Faried averaged 13.0 points and 8.8 rebounds per game for the Denver Nuggets. With Faried’s stat line, mixed with multiple years of club control, his carries huge value, and the Denver Nuggets will not sell low on their star power forward. It would take an unbelievable offer to pry Faried from underneath the Denver Nuggets, so for the time being, Faried’s status with the Denver Nuggets looks safe. But do not rule anything out just yet.

In addition to Kenneth Faried, the Denver Nuggets might shop Danilo Gallinari before the upcoming trade deadline. Like Faried, Gallinari is still young and in the prime of his career. Moreover, in July of 2015, the Denver Nuggets signed Gallinari to a two-year, $34M extension, keeping him in Denver until the 2017-2018 season.

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With Danilo Gallinari having a career-best season this year, the Denver Nuggets have a chance to sell high on the versatile player. Gallinari has spent time as a shooting guard, small forward, and power forward, and that type of versatility is a rarity in today’s game. The only player similar to Gallinari is Paul George, and he is considered a superstar by most people’s standards.

This year, Gallinari leads the Denver Nuggets in points per game, with 19.8; however, he has registered an underwhelming field goal percentage this season, sitting at .415. With the emergence of Will Barton, the Denver Nuggets could find Gallinari’s services expendable. Barton averages 15.5 points per game, with a .450 field goal percentage, despite playing six less minutes, per game, than Gallinari. Also, Barton signed a three-year extension for just $11M, presenting a club-friendly contract for the Denver Nuggets.

With Barton’s development, Danilo Gallinari’s contract looks like a sore sight; thus, the Denver Nuggets should look to trade the star small forward before the February 18th trade deadline. Fans love Gallinari, but the NBA is a business, and if you get stuck making poor decisions, it could haunt you for multiple years.

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If the Denver Nuggets part ways with someone, Danilo Gallinari looks like the more obvious player to trade. The Denver Nuggets can replace Gallinari in-house, and with Gallinari gone, Will Barton can continue to develop. Also, the Denver Nuggets could get Gallinari’s contract off the books, which could allow them to sign someone in the upcoming years. Look for the Denver Nuggets to make some noise around the trade deadline.

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