Denver Nuggets: 4 must-dos this offseason
By Sean Carroll
Denver Nuggets offseason checklist: Replenish young talent
Something this iteration of the Denver Nuggets front office has done well is found value late in the draft. Yes, they hit on Nikola Jokic at 41, but they also drafted Malik Beasley, Monte Morris, Juan Hernangomez, and R.J. Hampton, all of which have helped build this Nuggets roster.
Denver has been able to trust their scouting department to replenish the young talent which goes a long way in bench depth. Beasley and Juan were about to be extended (read: properly paid) but were traded to Minnesota for positive value before that happened.
At the moment, the young talent on the roster outside of the core players consists of Bol Bol, Zeke Nnaji, and PJ Dozier. With the 26th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, there’s an opportunity for Denver to draft another positive value player there and develop them into a role player.
When looking around at other title contenders, there are almost always elite role players on cheap contracts. The easiest way to sign a player to an undervalued contract is by drafting them. If it’s a first-round draft pick, Denver will have team control over their deal for four years before they’re extension eligible.
It’s not the be-all and end-all if Denver whiffs on this draft pick, but consecutive misses (or trading away young players) chips away at depth and assets for trade. Let’s hope Denver hits on this draft.
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