After having his minutes cut back during his final season in Denver in 2017/18, Kenneth Faried has seen his playing time reduced even further this year in Brooklyn. With his contract set to expire at season’s end, Faried appears to be a buyout candidate, but Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson said on Thursday that the big man and his camp haven’t broached the topic of a buyout, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
“No [he hasn’t asked],” Atkinson told Lewis. “I just like him on this team. He’s been really good. I just hope we can get him an opportunity. He’s been fantastic. I don’t feel great about it, because he’s been fantastic. It’s weird, some guys, they check out. He hasn’t.”
Faried, who was acquired by the Nets in a salary-dump deal with the Nuggets in July, has appeared in just nine games so far in Brooklyn, averaging a career-low 5.6 MPG. The 29-year-old has been effective in his limited minutes, making 11-of-14 shots from the field, but there hasn’t been room for him in a frontcourt rotation that features Jarrett Allen and Ed Davis. Faried likely wouldn’t be a great fit alongside either of those bigs, since the Nets typically use a smaller, more versatile power forward like Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Jared Dudley, or DeMarre Carroll.
“That four position has become a little bit of a guard when you go small, so that hurts [Faried] a little,” Atkinson said. “I do think his ideal position is a rolling five in this league, and I think he could be really good at it. It’s just with Ed playing fantastic ball, it’s more about the other guys – and being satisfied with our bigs – than him.”
Atkinson added that he wants to do a “better job” finding minutes for Faried, but as long as Allen and Davis remain healthy and productive, the former Nugget could end up on the trade block instead. There’s a belief that Brooklyn might end up being a buyer at the trade deadline, and Faried’s $13.76MM expiring contract would be a useful salary-matching piece in certain deals.
If the Nets do try to upgrade their roster, they’ll likely consider trade scenarios in which they attach an asset to Faried to acquire a contributor. If nothing materializes on that front, a buyout would presumably become a more viable possibility for the big man after the February 7 deadline.
The cushions on the Net’s bench must be heavenly.
A “buyout” usually has a purpose for both parties. From Faried’s perspective, he’d have to believe there’s another situation where he might get time. As long as the Nets are in the playoff hunt, they’d have to believe his bench spot could be upgraded. If the Nets fell out of contention it would be different, but, in the East, how likely is that?
Agreed. They’ll need him if there’s an injury.