Nuggets Shut Down Kenneth Faried-Iman Shumpert Trade Talks

Denver’s front-office let Kenneth Faried’s reps know on Wednesday that he was no longer being discussed in a possible trade involving Knicks guard Iman Shumpert. Faried’s name will continue to circulate in rumors, but for now, he’s staying put. As for Shumpert? His future in New York seems a tad cloudier. Per the Denver Post and NY Post: “No comment,’ Faried said. ‘No comment on all of that. I just play basketball and do my job, and that’s it.’ By the end of the day, Nuggets officials had talked to Faried’s representatives, letting them know there was no trade. But coach Brian Shaw was taking no chances on sitting back and watching what kind of effect the rumors might have on his young star. Shaw talked to Faried about it, hoping to keep the forward’s focus where it needed to be: on the court. Shaw said the reality of the situation is that trade rumors are a constant in the NBA. […] According to sources, Knicks general manager Steve Mills has spoken to several teams about Shumpert, looking for frontcourt help. But those conversations are in initial stages, and the Knicks’ long-rumored interest in Denver’s rebounding power forward Kenneth Faried, who has been shopped since October, appears to be going nowhere. Though the Knicks recently approached the Nuggets, the Denver Post reported Wednesday Denver has no interest in sending Faried, a Newark native, to the Knicks for Shumpert. The Nuggets just lost center JaVale McGee to a stress-fracture injury, giving them a lack of depth up front. Knicks coach Mike Woodson, who has appeared to be down on Shumpert since summer, did nothing to quell the possibility the guard eventually could be dealt somewhere. ‘I’ll mention it to him [but] it’s a part of our business,’ Woodson said. ‘I always try to tell you if you’re name is being floated in trade rumors, that’s a good thing. It means someone wants you. It’s not bad. The best players get traded. At the end of the day, you still got to play. You’re still in a Knick uniform.'”