With a potentially huge luxury tax bill looming, the Nuggets are hoping to find someone willing to take on the contracts of Wilson Chandler, Darrell Arthur or Kenneth Faried, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. He adds that Denver isn’t finding many interested teams and may have to put center Mason Plumlee on the trade block too.
Chandler contributed to the cap crunch when he decided to opt in to the final year of his contract at $12.8MM for next season. Combined with a sizable new deal upcoming for Nikola Jokic and the apparent decision to re-sign free agent Will Barton, the Nuggets could have a team salary in excess of $140MM, well above the projected $123MM luxury tax threshold for 2018/19.
Denver can reduce that figure by unloading Faried, who will make nearly $13.8MM next season, or Arthur, whose salary is set at nearly $7.5MM. Both are on expiring contracts, as is Chandler. Plumlee has two years left on his current deal at $12.9MM and $14MM.
I’ve never understood why Kenneth Faried isn’t seen as more valuable. His career /36 numbers are 16pts & 12reb, without ever having to be an option in the offense.
There’s a ton of players making a hell of a lot more than $13mil that aren’t nearly that productive.
Since he’s never played anywhere close to 36 minutes a game, totals/36 don’t really measure his production even in those two stats (and others aren’t as good). However, it’s really team metrics (RPM) where he falls; he measures as a negative both offensively and defensively. Offensively, it’s obvious why. He may not need to be an option to score decently per minute, but he’s also not able to be one (either to space the floor, post or create his own shot) which hurts his team. He’s not even a super efficient finisher around the basket like he was earlier in his career, and he’s still a poor FT shooter. He also doesn’t handle or pass well, and has too high a turnover rate. Defensively, not as bad, not as obvious and RPM isn’t as good a stat. But he’s certainly not a defensive stopper individually or any kind of rim protector.
As far as not being valued, keep in mind he got a pretty damn good contract (signed when the cap and max were much lower) for an undersized big with little offensive skill and who’s never seen starter minutes.
I’d much rather have them go after Joe Harris, who fits this team much better and will probably cost (slightly) less. I’d try to make a deal of Plumlee for Teodosic, THEN try to swap Faried and a first for a mediocre backup center- or just salary relief.
As a Sixers fan, if the team strikes out on LeBron, George, and Kawhi a trade of Faried and a first for Bayless and TLC wouldn’t disappoint me.
Faried and a 1st to the Bulls for Felicio.
Why would Denver want to pay Felicio for another 3 years?
Have to think the Bucks would be all over this scenario, I think any of the 4 would help
I think Stein’s tweet is saying that the Nuggets might have to consider moving Plumlee on his own to clear room.
The wording of this post makes it seem like a team would only take Faried/Arthur/Chandler if they can get Plumlee too.
Good call, I tweaked the wording.
They won’t give up a 1st to get under the tax, unless a team took at least Faried and Arthur (21 mm or so) into cap space without anything coming back, and the pick was protected. Keep in mind these two contracts, and Chandler, are expiring contracts (of guys they won’t be interested in after next year). So they can be stretched. Denver’s cap situation is good after this year, so they could handle spreading the 33 mm or so in the 3 contracts over 3 years. Not ideal, but better than surrendering a 1st without significant protection. Or traded down for 2 year deals at lower amounts EASILY with all the 2016 contracts expiring after 2020. Then those can be stretched at much lower amounts. Tax is measured at the end of the season on the full year value of the contracts in place. So, they have until then, and certainly don’t have to do anything until the end of August, at which point someone may have unused cap space or TPE that won’t be so expensive to buy for an expiring deal.
They should’ve considered not handing out those contracts to begin with. Of course they’re looking to move those players…
They should find a way to get rid of thos 3 guys at any cost, but I just hope they keep Plumlee, really like him, though if he could go some place where he could get starting minutes, then that would be ok too.