Danny Wolf would have been a perfect addition to the Denver Nuggets' bench next season, and they could have had him with the 25th pick in Wednesday’s NBA Draft, but unfortunately, that pick was dealt to the Orlando Magic many years ago.
The Nuggets were forced to sit idly by, without a single pick in the draft, as they watched teams all around the league add something Denver desperately covets: young talent. The team needs an infusion of talent and depth, and the draft would have been a perfect opportunity to find that, but alas, it wasn’t to be.
There was no last-minute trade to be made, as the Nuggets’ new front office may have tried, but was unable to deal its way into the first round of the draft. The pick that would have been theirs could have been used to select several players that would have been great fits in Denver, and could likely even help them immediately.
But Wolf is the one who really stings. He could have come in right away and helped the Nuggets bench, playing a lesser, but similar type of basketball to Nikola Jokic, giving the team two 7-foot passing maestros. The two could have made magic together, and he could have come in for Jokic and run the offense in that role for several minutes each half.
The Brooklyn Nets have selected Danny Wolf with the No. 27 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 26, 2025
Two Israelis selected back to back by the Nets.
Wolf was one of the most unique players in college this season, shouldering significant playmaking responsibilities at 7-feet for Michigan. pic.twitter.com/fh9M3PErCi
Nuggets traded 2025 first in Aaron Gordon trade
Overall, the Nuggets’ current draft capital situation is infuriating and almost entirely self-inflicted due to wasteful spending of future picks and other assets. The fact that the team has no picks in this draft is representative of the poor team-building in recent years, but this particular pick was hard to get too upset about.
The Nuggets owed their 2025 first-round pick to the Magic from a little old trade made way back in March of 2021. That deal sent Gary Harris, RJ Hampton, and this 2025 first-round pick in exchange for one Aaron Gordon.
Since coming to Denver, Gordon has been a perfect fit, has helped the team win their first title in franchise history, and has become an all-time beloved figure, even earning the moniker, Mr. Nugget.
The pick ended up being 25th overall in this year’s draft; all in all, a small price to pay in exchange for acquiring Gordon. But the point isn’t the Gordon trade, as that was one of the only fruitful trades in the last 5 years. The point is that the Nuggets have wasted their draft picks and put themselves in a bad spot, losing out on the opportunity to add players like Danny Wolf.