Report: Nuggets trade Faried, Arthur, picks to Nets for Whitehead
After being the subject of numerous trade rumors, Kenneth Faried is finally moving on from the Mile High City in what amounts to nothing more than a salary dump.
The Denver Nuggets have reportedly traded Faried, Darrell Arthur, a 2019 top-12 protected first-round pick, and a future second-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Isaiah Whitehead, league sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Whitehead's time with the Nuggets will be short-lived, however, as Denver will reportedly waive him to clear up even more cap space.
The trade was seemingly designed to get the franchise back under the luxury tax, as removing both Faried and Arthur from the books will save the Nuggets $43 million in salary and projected tax, bringing them $8.7 million below the threshold, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.
Faried served as one of the longest-tenured Nuggets players, having been with the organization since 2011 after being selected 22nd overall in that year's draft. His role had been reduced the past three seasons, though, bottoming out in 2017-18 with averages of 5.9 points and 4.8 rebounds in 14.4 minutes across 32 appearances.
The same applies to Arthur, who was behind the likes of Nikola Jokic (who recently inked a five-year, $148-million max extension), a healthy Paul Millsap, Trey Lyles, and Mason Plumlee in the depth chart.
Brooklyn, meanwhile, is slowly recouping picks after mortgaging its future in the 2013 blockbuster involving the Boston Celtics which cost it multiple first-rounders.