Should the Nuggets attempt to trade up in the 2020 NBA Draft?

Trading up in the 2020 NBA Draft could be the best option for the Denver Nuggets.

Sitting with the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the Denver Nuggets are situated neatly in the draft range that should produce plenty of key rotation players.

Draft prospects like Aleksej Pokusevski (Olympiacos), Desmond Bane (Texas Christian) and Jaden McDaniels (Washington) could be available when the Nuggets are on the clock, allowing Denver to shore up their depth in key areas or replace a fringe rotation player like Torrey Craig.

The Nuggets have two young stars in Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray; they have two other potential All-Stars in Michael Porter Jr. and Bol Bol; they have quality players like Gary Harris and Will Barton in the top half of their rotation. By no means is Denver in desperate straits.

However, what started out as an aspiration to become a championship-contender is now the Nuggets’ reality thanks to the talent they’ve managed to assemble.

Should Denver be satisfied with a late second round pick?

Without trading a key player (like any of the aforementioned Nuggets), Denver is capable of moving up around five spots in the draft. Such a situation happened in the 2019 NBA Draft, when the Philadelphia 76ers were able to move up four slots (24th to 20th) and in the 2018 NBA Draft, when the Phoenix Suns were able to move up six slots (16th to 10th).

However, the Nuggets need to consider their actions in the 2017 NBA Draft, when they were able to move up 11 slots (24th to 11th) by trading their first-round pick and seldom-used Trey Lyles. This offseason, Denver has a couple of young and promising players that rarely see their court that can be their Lyles in P.J. Dozier and Keita Bates-Diop.

By moving up 5-10 spots in the draft, Denver would then be picking anywhere from the 12th to 17th spots; from the backend of the lottery to just outside of it.

That’s another sweet spot for this draft, where prospects like Saddiq Bey (Villanova) and Aaron Nesmith (Vanderbilt) will be available. These are two prospects who have a high chance of being rotation players next season.

Bey and Nesmith would both be immediate upgrades over Craig because they’re capable of excelling on defense but are both excellent 3-point shooters (where Craig was simply a mediocre perimeter threat). In Bey’s case, there’s the added benefit of being a tertiary ball-handler.

Imagine, just for a second, that the Nuggets had either of these small forwards available during their latest postseason run. With Nesmith acting as Denver’s Danny Green or Bey becoming the Nuggets’ OG Anunoby, they would have had a greater chance at slowing the league’s elite wings and keeping up with them from the perimeter; two major issues Denver had throughout the playoffs.

While the Nuggets can attempt to make these types of additions with established players this offseason, they may not be able to due to financial priorities (such as re-signing Jerami Grant) and the unpredictable nature of free agents. Making a trade might require them to surrender a more important piece than Dozier or Bates-Diop.

If Denver has the ability to move up between five and ten spots in the 2020 NBA Draft without giving up a rotation player, I’m of the opinion that there should be no hesitation on the matter. The Nuggets are just entering their championship window; there will be more opportunities to upgrade the roster but taking advantage of every chance could be the difference between the team hoisting a Larry O’Brien trophy and going home empty-handed.