Former Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth took over the roster-building role from Tim Connelly in the summer of 2022, and the first move he made was to trade up in the draft for Peyton Watson. It was the first of many in which the Nuggets traded away future draft picks. And now the team's future to rebuild via the draft is in knots, and the Nuggets are left to try to untangle it, if they can.
Fast forward a few years, and Booth is long gone, but the Nuggets are still dealing with his errors of judgment. That first trade up for P-Wat sends the Nuggets' 2027 first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder. And now Watson's up for free agency, restricted at least, so the Nuggets have a chance to match the offer. But he could leave, and the Nuggets have nothing to show for that trade.
Booth wasn't done, he did more draft damage
The following season at the 2023 draft, Booth sent the Nuggets' 2029 first-round pick to the Thunder as part of a four-team trade that netted the Nuggets Jalen Pickett and Julian Strawther, along with Hunter Tyson.
So the Thunder, who are already loaded with talent, get two of the Nuggets' first-round picks, and none of these players in return were able to make an impact against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the disastrous first-round exit. Tyson was cut at the trade deadline to duck the luxury tax. Watson was even out with an injury.
But, wait, there's more! Thanks to the fun in the NBA's draft language, the Nuggets can't really trade their 2028 or 2030 first-round picks because of protections for the Thunder. So 2031 is the only clean first-round pick on the books besides this season's pick, and 2032 was shipped out by the Nuggets prior to this season in the Cameron Johnson trade.
The Nuggets may only have three first-round picks over the next six years if they don't acquire more.
It gets even worse from there
To make matters worse, Booth traded away the second-round, nearly all of it, outside of a small chance they keep the 2028 second. In 2028, it has to fall between 31 and 33. Otherwise, it's going to Washington. The Nuggets do not have a second-round pick after this season until 2033 if that 2028 pick doesn't hit.
Booth traded up in the 2024 draft for DaRon Holmes, who was supposed to be the backup for Nikola Jokic. Booth included the 2026 second-round pick, the 2031 second-round pick, and the 2024 second-round pick, and Holmes has barely seen garbage time for the Nuggets.
He brought in Reggie Jackson as a backup point guard, and a year later, Booth was shipping Jackson out to save money. But he had to attach 2025, 2029, and 2030 second-round picks to do it.
The Nuggets will be left to clean up Booth's mess for years, if they can at all. It's going to be much more difficult to get younger and rebuild when you lack the draft picks to do it, and the players you traded for didn't pan out. It's not so easy to acquire draft picks. That has to be a goal of the Nuggets if they trade any part of their core.
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