Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried is almost certain to play for another ball club before the mid-season trade deadline, a league insider reported on Tuesday.

Faried, who has become one of the most coveted young stars in the league, has been the subject of trade speculation ever since the Nuggets changed their coaching personnel.

With first-year head coach Brian Shaw looking to rely on a more polished big man at the post, Faried's up-and-tempo style of play proved to be a liability rather than an asset early this season. Though Faried still averaged 10.3 points and 9.0 rebounds in 25.3 minutes per game, his tenure in the Mile High City appears to be numbered, mainly because of his contract situation.

The 24-year old Faried is expected to demand a huge extension next summer, and this is enough reason for the Nuggets to find an ideal trade partner before other teams grabbed the high-value player without compensation.

"He's hardly the only one who is likely on the move, as third-year Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried has sparked much discourse early on because of his fluid situation. With general manager Tim Connelly having taken over for the departed Masai Ujiri (now in Toronto), Faried's known desire for a huge payday via extension next summer was enough to inspire the decision maker to test his market value around the league as a way of considering all his options," USA Today NBA insider Sam Amick reported on Monday.

The List Keeps Getting Longer

Teams are already aware of Faried's capability as a player if given enough time on the floor. Playing an integral role in George Karl's system last year, Faried easily became a double-double machine every single ballgame as he averaged 11.5 points and 9.2 rebounds in 28 minutes of play.

According to Amick, there are at least five teams (Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Sacramento Kings) that can make their run at Faried before the trade deadline. The insider expected the list of suitors to increase as the deadline draws near.

"With teams such as the Raptors, Sacramento Kings, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets struggling, there will be many inquiries made between now and the time when the trade deadline buzzer sounds," Amick speculated on his report.