Denver Nuggets: 3 things to watch for at the NBA Draft Lottery
By Sean Carroll
Denver Nuggets, 3 things to watch at the NBA Draft Lottery: Golden State’s title window widening
The Golden State Warriors are in the enviable position of having a championship-caliber roster and a high draft pick… again. This season is different from the last where the Warriors had their own pick after injuries to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
In a mid-season trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves last season, the Warriors swapped D’Angelo Russell, Jacob Evans III, and Omari Spellman for Andrew Wiggins and the Wolves’ 2021 first-round pick if it falls outside of the top-three.
Well, a season has been and gone and the Timberwolves finished with the sixth-worst record in the league. This gives Golden State a 72.4 percent chance at stealing the pick from Minnesota and using it for their own good between the fourth and tenth spots.
How does that impact the Denver Nuggets?
Well, the Nuggets are trying to win their very first NBA championship right now. As Denver Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly put it in his postseason press conference:
"“I really like our foundation, but until we’re having this press conference after we win a championship, we’re falling short.”"
If the Golden State Warriors, a Western Conference rival, can add a top-ten pick to their trade arsenal, on top of their own (projected 14th), and last year’s second overall pick James Wiseman, the Warriors could realistically be contenders for a little bit longer.
Making a potential trade easier, Andrew Wiggins is getting paid $31.6 million next season which makes him an ideal candidate to match salaries with another team’s disgruntled star. This means, instead of giving up a core piece (Steph, Klay, or Draymond Green), the Dubs can move on from their fourth-best starter to add an All-Star.
Not good for a Denver team that’s trying to win today.