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Denver Nuggets: 3 trade-up scenarios in the 2022 NBA Draft

By Sean Carroll

23 Jun. 2016; New York, NY, USA; Juan Hernangomez walks to the stage after being selected as the number fifteen overall pick to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)
23 Jun. 2016; New York, NY, USA; Juan Hernangomez walks to the stage after being selected as the number fifteen overall pick to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports) /
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30 Mar. 2022; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Will Barton (5) controls the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Buddy Hield (24) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. (Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports)
30 Mar. 2022; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Will Barton (5) controls the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Buddy Hield (24) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. (Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports) /

Denver Nuggets 2022 NBA Draft trade-up scenarios: Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers are holding their cards very close to their chest after a disappointing NBA Draft Lottery.

Pacers president of basketball operations, Kevin Pritchard, has said that his team will be “aggressive” at the draft, pointing out that a lot of teams don’t draft where the lottery sends them. This could either mean he has plans to trade up, trade down, or he’s bluffing altogether.

At the moment, Indiana has the sixth pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and is on the outside looking in on top prospects. If they can’t find a trade partner with any of the teams above them, should they look to move out of their position completely and add talent elsewhere?

There are a lot of moving parts in this deal but with a recent report from Marc Stein that says Indiana is trying to push for the playoffs next season, looking to retain Myles Turner, this might be their best avenue to do so.

Whoever they draft with the sixth pick (or higher if they find a way to move up) will likely not be ready to compete at a high level, rookies rarely are. By making this trade, they add functional depth in Will Barton and Bones Hyland while saving money for this season and the next by trading Buddy Hield.

It’d be hard for the Denver Nuggets to say goodbye to Bones after he played so well in his rookie campaign but whoever they would draft at six would likely have higher upside. Zeke Nnaji is in there to make the money work, less for the value.

Denver needs shooting in a bad way and while MPJ and Jamal Murray getting healthy will address that issue, they’ll now be able to run out one of the more potent offensive lineups in the league with Murray, Hield, MPJ, Aaron Gordon, and Nikola Jokic.

All indications are that if Indiana does make a trade, it’ll be up, not down. Yes, they want to push for the playoffs next season but I believe it’s similar to their push following Paul George’s gruesome knee injury – dip into the lottery for one season, retool, and get back to the promised land. The 21st pick doesn’t do that.