Lost in the Nuggets’ transformative offseason was the fact that they dealt away their last remaining tradeable first-round draft pick to acquire Cam Johnson and get off of Michael Porter Jr.’s salary. It was a great deal, and one that should have been an absolute no-brainer for the team, but it handicapped them going forward.
As of now, the only draft pick the Nuggets can legally trade is their 2032 second-rounder. That may not seem like a big deal at the moment, but realistically, the team’s roster probably isn’t as perfect as we think, and for one reason or another, a tweak will be necessary at some point.
Given the massive deficit when it comes to draft equity, pulling off that tweak is going to be extremely difficult and potentially costly. For example, the Nuggets would love to get out of Zeke Nnaji’s contract, which would free up a roster spot and get the team some breathing room under the luxury tax line.
But to get rid of Nnaji, the Nuggets are going to have to pay in the form of assets. If they had all their picks, it wouldn’t be hard to attach a couple of seconds, or even a protected first, which could possibly even net a good player in return.
Lack of draft picks will end up costing Nuggets at some point
Without the picks, the Nuggets may simply be stuck with Nnaji and the remaining three years and roughly $23 million he’s due. That’s going to be damaging when it comes to team building and keeping this roster together, especially if ownership is reluctant to pay a high tax bill for multiple years.
The fallout and consequences may be that the Nuggets are forced to let some of their depth pieces walk. The veterans may end up being one-year rentals, even if they have great seasons. One of Christian Braun or Peyton Watson may get squeezed out of deals with their upcoming extension talks.
Worse yet, without picks to deal, the Nuggets may be forced to deal actual assets from the rotation. If the Nuggets are going to get any trade done to upgrade the roster or dump salary, they are going to have to attach a young player who appeals to another team.
That means it’s likely that at least one of Watson, DaRon Holmes, Julian Strawther, or Jalen Pickett becomes a casualty of the Nuggets’ frivolous pick dealing. A lot of picks have been wasted over the years on bad deals, and now that the roster is nearing perfection, it’s time to face the music and pay for the sins of the past.