Early returns show that Nuggets may have made drastic error with summer trade

Going into the 2024 NBA Draft, this year’s class wasn’t thought to be full of generational talent. The prior years with the likes of Victor Wembanyama, Paolo Banchero, and Chet Holmgren had been incredibly hyped up, and the same is true of future drafts with players like Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, and AJ Dybantsa coming into the picture.

But the 2024 Draft was projected to be an underwhelming one, lacking true game-changing prospects. So far, through a week of the regular season, those prognostications appear to be largely correct. 

Not many rookies have been popping in early action; some look fine, but nobody has jumped out as a clear star to be. Yet, one rookie who is making an immediate impact on a contending team is Ryan Dunn of the Phoenix Suns.

Ryan Dunn looks like the steal of the 2024 NBA draft

Dunn was labeled a defensive ace while at the University of Virginia but fell in the draft due to his lack of a jump shot and overall underwhelming offensive game. There were concerns that his offense would keep him off the floor at the NBA level.

However, through four games, those concerns look unfounded. Dunn has been a revelation on both ends; he’s shooting with no hesitation and the shot looks good. In the last three games, he has shot 7/14 from beyond the arc and he’s averaging just under 10 points per game in that stretch.

On top of that, his defense has been even better than advertised. Dunn has been able to come in and shut down opposing teams’ star players from the jump and he has already earned a spot in the Suns’ closing lineup where he has performed well at the end of big games.

Nuggets traded draft rights to Dunn to the Suns

So, why should Nuggets fans care about this? Dunn was selected with the Nuggets’ draft pick, 28th overall in this year’s draft. The Nuggets traded up to acquire the Suns' pick and gave Phoenix their own first-rounder along with multiple seconds.

Making matters worse for Denver, the player they moved up to draft, Daron Holmes, tore his achilles in summer league and will miss the entire season. Holmes may still end up being a great player, but the Nuggets need help now and Holmes can’t provide that.

Dunn looks like he would have been an incredible piece for Denver off the bench, someone who could step right in and plug some holes from Jump Street. So, not only did the Nuggets trade away a rookie who looks like the steal of the draft to a conference rival, but they also sacrificed precious draft capital which could have been used for other trades to acquire meaningful role players.

It’s too early to grade this trade, and for all we know, the Nuggets may not have picked Dunn at 28 - heck, the Suns may have just taken him at 23 - but so far it looks like the Nuggets got swindled and the Suns made out like bandits.