Kosner Baskonia have added veteran center Kenneth Faried from Cangrejeros De Santurce, a move built to sharpen the team’s interior edge for the Liga ACB push. The 203 cm big brings rebounding, rim protection and a reliable motor that travels well. You can find his full career profile and live stats on Sofascore.

He lands in Vitoria-Gasteiz with recent minutes both in Puerto Rico’s BSN and in Greece, which should smooth the transition. For Baskonia fans, this is a classic late-season addition that targets a very specific need.

Why Baskonia made this move

Baskonia sit second in Liga ACB at 24-9 and have been trending well into crunch time. Recent results include a 92-89 home win over Unicaja and an eye-catching 88-83 victory at Real Madrid, which underlines their ceiling. The playoff clash with Joventut Badalona has been more mixed, featuring a strong 85-71 home win but also defeats of 63-82 away and 88-96 at home. That run hints at where extra frontcourt size and rebounding can swing tight moments. In knockout basketball, one more defensive stop or second-chance basket often decides a series.

Coach Paolo Galbiati now gets a proven rebounder who can settle possessions late. Faried’s arrival should help Baskonia finish defensive stands on the glass and add vertical spacing on offense. The Fernando Buesa Arena crowd will welcome his hustle, which tends to show up quickly in box scores. For a team already in the title conversation, the signing aims to lock in playoff habits and protect the paint more consistently.

What Faried brings right now

Faried’s BSN 2026 numbers with Cangrejeros jump off the page: 103 rebounds and 120 points across 9 appearances, plus 12 blocks and 5 double-doubles. He shot 46 of 97 from the field and drew contact often, making 23 free throws. Notably, he added 28 assists to just 9 turnovers, showing smart decisions as a short-roll passer. On Sofascore’s league leaderboards, he ranked first per game in rebounds, seventh per game in blocks, and posted a positive plus-minus. The volume and diversity of that output fit exactly what a contender looks for mid-season.

Earlier in the Basketball League 25/26 with Panathinaikos, he logged 61 rebounds and 15 blocks in 11 games, with a field-goal mark near 54%. That 15-block tally ranked 10th in the competition, and his +111 plus-minus sat among the top 25 overall and top 10 per game. He barely used the three, which suits his rim-running profile. The key is that his strengths have traveled across leagues and game plans. Fans can track how this translates to Spain on the Baskonia Sofascore page each game night.

How he fits in Vitoria

Expect Faried to thrive in pick-and-roll actions, diving hard to the rim and creating gravity for shooters. His offensive rebounding should add easy put-backs and extra possessions, which matter in ACB’s tight margins. The assist-to-turnover control he showed in Puerto Rico also suggests value as a release valve when pressure hits. Defensively, his timing as a help-side shot blocker can steer drivers into tougher finishes. He will also help Baskonia close out defensive possessions by securing boards.

Rotation-wise, the move gives Galbiati lineup flexibility to go more physical when matchups demand it. In games like the 92-89 squeeze versus Unicaja, a couple of extra stops or second-chance buckets can settle the score. On the road, as seen in the 88-83 win at Real Madrid, energy bigs often swing momentum with effort plays. At Fernando Buesa Arena, his activity should energize both ends during those key third-quarter swings. The fit looks straightforward: run, rebound, protect, and keep the ball moving.

The view from Santurce

Cangrejeros lose a big piece of their frontcourt production, and the numbers tell the story. Faried put up 120 points, pulled 103 rebounds, and swatted 12 shots in just 9 BSN appearances. He delivered 5 double-doubles in that span, which is strong consistency at center. His 28 assists also relieved playmaking pressure on teammates, a subtle but valuable contribution. Replacing that mix of boards, rim pressure and connective passing will be the priority.

The bright side for Santurce is clarity in roles and minutes for the rest of the rotation. There is now room for others to expand their usage on the glass and in the paint. The staff can recalibrate schemes to spread the rebounding load rather than rely on one dominant presence. It is never easy to lose that much impact mid-season, but it can sharpen identity quickly. For a club with ambition, the response often becomes a springboard for the next phase.

Faried arrives with form, fit and a clear job description, which tends to work well this time of year. Baskonia have positioned themselves for a deep run, and this signing aligns with that intent. Follow his game-by-game numbers, live momentum and Sofascore Rating on the player profile and team page to see how quickly he moves the needle.