DENVER — The curious case of Kenneth Faried has no easy resolution.

Is he the friendly fellow who, on a cold, winter night outside a LoHi restaurant, stopped to sign autographs for anyone willing to ask? Or is he the entitled one who once stubbornly refused when Nuggets coach Michael Malone told him to sub into a game?

Yes. Denver’s power forward is all of those things. There is no straddling the fence on Faried: Opinions of his unique game are on one side or firmly on the other.

The Nuggets on Wednesday introduced their four rookies, including top pick Jamal Murray, the Canadian scoring guard who still has the front office astounded and ecstatic he was available at seventh overall.

“On draft night we had a camera in the room and we had to say, ‘Everybody be cool,'” Malone told me. “We all wanted to do a handstand or a cartwheel or something.”

But no player will have a more immediate impact on the roster than the Manimal. If the Nuggets make a splashy move via trade, here’s a hunch Faried is at the center of the deal. They are on the hunt for a capable, willing defender or two after ranking 24th in efficiency.

If the price is right, the Nuggets should move Faried. Considering his crazy-cool dunks and the hundreds of No. 35 jerseys that bounce into Pepsi Center to support their favorite player, unloading Faried wouldn’t be popular. But if the Nuggets can add a proud defender who is OK with coming off the bench, it’s the right move.

“If we make a trade or bring a free agent in here, they will need to have a clear role and be better than what we have,” general manager Tim Connelly said after the team’s rookies’ first press conference.

I’m still perplexed why Faried wasn’t named to USA Basketball’s Olympic squad. In his previous venture with the national team, Faried was named all-tournament — an honor that had coach Mike Krzyzewski raving about Faried but probably served as a disservice for the Nuggets, who need him to accept a role.

“Those games where he brought it, we were a different team,” Malone said. “The reality is, he can do things that nobody else on our team can do.”

Ask 10 folks for their hot take of Faried and you’ll be met with 10 unique answers.

But any fair and educated conversation on the Manimal must begin with this: His is an amazing success story. From a Newark neighborhood cursed with drugs and guns, Faried built himself into a first-round draft pick and relentless competitor. The NBA lifestyle never was handed to him. Like he does with loose-ball rebounds, Faried just took it. From Morehead State to the big time? Respect.

“I think he brings that above-the-rim finisher that our other guys don’t present,” Connelly said. “He complements our young ‘bigs’ well.”

On a balcony overlooking the city’s growing skyline, the Nuggets’ four rookies lifted their No. 16 jerseys for a photo opportunity Wednesday. None of them are old enough to legally buy an O’Dell’s 90 Shilling. Trust me, guys. It’s tasty.

A few takeaways from their first day at NBA school: Florida State product Malik Beasley is on the market for a new set of golf clubs and said he’s amped to add 20 yards to his tee shot thanks to the altitude. Murray is the proud owner of his first cellphone, according to his agent, Mike George of Excel Sports. Juancho Hernangomez had to go through his sister, a pro ballplayer in Spain, before he could reach the NBA. Petr Cornelie is a 6-foot-11 Frenchman with a sharp sense of humor and keen eye for photography.

“I have heard Colorado is great for taking photos,” Cornelie said.

“I’m looking forward to the future,” Beasley said.

Same here. But the Nuggets’ promising future is a few years from being fully realized. Faried would sooner chop his trademark dreadlocks than participate in a multiyear rebuild. Should we expect a major roster move prior to training camp?

“We have nothing on the table at present,” Connelly said. “But if history is an indicator, you always see some movement.”

With a doffed cap to Ty Lawson, moving Faried would be the most polarizing move in Nuggets land since Carmelo Anthony ditched Denver for Manhattan. But for an enigma like Faried, who has clashed with coaches but shares a heartwarming devotion to the Global Down Syndrome Foundation and countless other community outreach projects, polarizing fits.

Trading away Faried for the right price would be a tough move, but the right one.

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Twitter: @bypaulklee