Despite failing to find his way into the team's rotation, Brooklyn Nets veteran forward/center Kenneth Faried is reportedly not in discussion with the team regarding a potential buyout.
This is from Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson himself, who had nothing but good things to say about Faried. Atkinson also flat-out denied rumors pertaining to a buyout, claiming that Faried still figures in the team's plans for this season:
“No [he hasn’t asked] … I know [about the reports]. I just like him on this team. He’s been really good. I just hope we can get him an opportunity,” Atkinson told Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “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.”
This speaks volumes of Faried's mentality, as the 29-year-old appears to still be willing to fight for his place on the team.
Nonetheless, Atkinson did admit that with the logjam in the Nets' frontcourt, he does not see how Faried will be able to crack his rotation anytime soon:
“We have a plethora of bigs, especially since we can go small,” Atkinson added. “That 4 position has become a little bit of a guard when you go small, so that hurts him a little. I do think his ideal position is a rolling 5 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.”
Faried arrived in Brooklyn last summer via trade with the Denver Nuggets. He is currently on the final year of his four-year, $50 million deal, and will be entering free agency in the offseason.
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