One of the routes teams take when they decide to retool the roster, or go for a complete rebuild, is to acquire future draft picks. Specifically, first-round picks. They often get tossed in trades as sweeteners to spice up the deal. But that road may have become more difficult for the Denver Nuggets to navigate thanks to a proposed rule change for future NBA drafts.
The NBA's proposed "3,2,1" rule is still on track to go to a vote for owners on May 28th, and it could come with problems for the Nuggets acquiring draft picks in any trade they could make this summer.
"Front office executives are preparing for less future draft picks to be traded for star players under the proposed system," Jake Fischer said about a consequence of the new draft proposal.
Great. As if it wasn't going to be difficult enough to retool and add pieces through the draft, thanks to the Nuggets' miserable draft future, this new proposal could push the Nuggets into even more difficult territory.
The new rule proposals could stifle the Nuggets
The Nuggets have only two future second-round picks and four future first-round picks, but they don't have any control over those picks to trade. So the route to rebuild as the San Antonio Spurs did is totally off the table. And now it sounds like teams are going to be less willing to part with their first-round picks because of the new rules.
One new rule proposal is that a team can't have three top-five picks in three straight years, as the Spurs did. Of course, they got lucky and had Victor Wembanyama first, Stephon Castle fourth, and Dylan Harper second in three consecutive years before the proposed change. Teams could be more reluctant to trade for picks that could land in the top five, but get moved out of the top five because of this rule.
The Nuggets are in a precarious position
The Nuggets lack the salary cap space to make many splashes via free agency, and they lack the draft capital to move, partly because of Calvin Booth's recklessness with future draft picks. So what are they going to do this offseason?
They need to bring back Peyton Watson, but that puts the Nuggets over the second-apron. That means they likely make a trade to get back under the tax, but who?
Cam Johnson's name has been mentioned because of his expiring contract. And Jamal Murray has been mentioned. It could take a Murray-level talent to acquire future draft picks, and that may be what the Nuggets do if they can get a good return package. It would just sting for Nuggets fans.
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