Nuggets fans are waking up to see the San Antonio Spurs move on to the Western Conference Finals, 4-2 past the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Spurs have a young team with a lot of talent, built through the draft. Nuggets fans can only fume at how quickly the Spurs' luck turned around via the draft, because the Denver Nuggets gave away many of their chances to get younger that same way, and have little chance at the same lottery gifts.
The Spurs were gifted Victor Wembanyama with the number one pick in 2023, and we all know just how well that's worked out. He's likely going to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award, and he's generally regarded as the best defensive basketball player in the world.
The Spurs were then gifted Stephon Castle at number four in 2024 and Dylan Harper at number two in 2025. Three incredible picks in a row, all in the top four.
Sure, the Spurs basically tanked and played poorly for years to build up draft picks, but they went from out of the playoffs to 62 wins and a challenger for an NBA Finals appearance in a single year.
The Nuggets don't have draft capital to do the same
The Nuggets aren't going to be a lottery team as long as they've got Nikola Jokic, or at least until he's well past his prime. So the Nuggets are mostly stuck making youthful roster additions via free agency for the foreseeable future. Why?
Because they let Calvin Booth trade away a couple of first-round picks and most of the second-round picks for the next few years. And on top of that, the Nuggets locked up Christian Braun to a long-term extension instead of the guy they traded the 2027 first-round pick for, Peyton Watson. And to make it worse, the pick belongs to the Oklahoma City Thunder!
Now Watson's up for free agency, and the Nuggets may not have anything to show for that trade if they don't re-sign him. Plus, Booth traded the 2029 first-round pick to the Thunder as well, for what turned into Julian Strawther, Jalen Pickett, and Hunter Tyson. Tyson traded in a salary dump this year at the deadline, and Strawther and Pickett didn't see meaningful time against the Timberwolves in the playoffs.
The Nuggets draft future is dim
The Nuggets do retain the rights to those picks if they land 1-5 in the draft, but that means the Nuggets are in the lottery, and we're suffering as a fan base with a bad team.
The Nuggets' draft future isn't very bright. They have three first-round picks over the next six years that they retain, and after their second-round selection this year, those are all gone until 2032.
Nuggets fans can only fume at the situation and wish it were different. The Spurs vaulted to the top quickly and will remain there for years. The lottery gifts sure were nice for them.
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