NBA Trade Rumors for 2016-17 NBA Season: Kenneth Faried to Raptors, Kevin Garnett Leaves Timberwolves, Ricky Rubio to Cavaliers
As NBA teams continue to assess their rosters and analyze their needs, as veteran players contemplate retirement or decide to play for other teams, and as talented stars face uncertainties in their roster spots, the NBA rumor mill continues to produce news as well. Here are some of the latest.
1. Kenneth Faried to Toronto Raptors
Compared to other NBA teams, the Toronto Raptors wasn't as busy during the off-season when it comes to trades and free agent acquisitions. For the team to be a championship contender, analysts believe that they need another star in their lineup.
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The best move for the Raptors this off-season was the re-signing of their best player, DeMar Derozan. The team also added front court depth through 2 1st round picks.
According to Digital Journal, Denver Nuggets is interested in making roster changes, and Kenneth Faried might be the player they are thinking about trading. Despite his skills and tenacity in the front court, Denver is said to be looking for a wing player.
The Toronto Raptors need a front court player the likes of Kenneth Faried. Faried will help the team get more rebounds, and not only that, he can contribute on the offensive end by scoring 12 points per game.
Faried averaged 12.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks per game last season.
2. Kevin Garnett Leaves Timberwolves
Parent Herald reports rumors that Kevin Garnett will continue to play in the 2016-17 NBA regular season. However, these rumors state that he will no longer play for his 2015-16 team, the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Some writers speculate that Kevin Garnett might play for the Los Angeles Clippers, if only because Doc Rivers said that Garnett will play for his 15th season in the NBA.
Garnett might want to leave Minnesota and play for another team, since the Timberwolves will devote more playing time on the younger players as it enters rebuilding mode. The team is composed of young talents such as Kris Dunn, Zach Lavigne, Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns, and the future looks bright for the team.
Garnett averaged 3.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. Father time has caught up with the veteran during the last 5 seasons, when he averaged single digit points, and has had to deal with several injuries.
3. Ricky Rubio to the Cavaliers
The rumored Ricky Rubio to the Cleveland Cavaliers move, if realized, would definitely make waves among NBA fans. Rubio is considered as one of the best pure point guards in the league today. The Cavs back court would make a major leap as two great facilitators can now dictate the talented offense of the team.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert has been involved with a DUI case recently, and this may be enough to trade him to avoid team distractions.
Backup point guard Mo Williams is actually thinking about retiring from the league, and with this in mind, a Ricky Rubio addition suddenly makes sense. Is Minnesota interested in trading Rubio? Possibly, since they used their fifth draft pick to obtain a younger, more athletic point guard in Kris Dunn.
