The Nuggets didn’t have any chance at a lottery pick, but they still should have been very interested in the lottery results on Sunday. There were teams that could have moved up and hurt Denver, either by being in direct competition with the team or in the way they’ll compete to pursue players this offseason.
Either way, the Nuggets dodged the bullets they needed to, and none of the things that could have made life truly uncomfortable in Denver came to fruition.
2026 NBA Draft Lottery Order:
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) May 10, 2026
1. Wizards
2. Jazz
3. Grizzlies
4. Bulls
5. Clippers
6. Nets
7. Kings
8. Hawks
9. Mavs
10. Bucks
11. Warriors
12. Thunder
13. Heat
14. Hornets
Thunder will pick 12th in the draft
The biggest hurdle to the Nuggets winning another title with Nikola Jokic may be the Thunder. OKC had another chance to move up and add another generational talent on a rookie deal via the Clippers’ pick. Luckily, they didn’t move up at all, and will stay in the 12th position. It’s still a great asset for them to have (along with the 17th pick from Philly), but another top-4 pick in this draft would have felt like a death sentence for the rest of the West in the near future.
Warriors and Mavericks stay put
If two other teams could be looking to vault up to contender status in the West quickly through the lottery, that would be the Warriors and Mavericks. If Golden State added a top pick, they could flip that into another star alongside Steph Curry and try to make another run at it.
The Mavs could have done the same to pair a third star with Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving, or tried to build an up-and-coming juggernaut with Flagg and another young stud. But luckily for Denver, neither team moved up, and Dallas will pick 9th with Golden State at 11.
Jazz and Clips moving up represent only potential downside
If there was any bad news to be taken from this lottery, it’s minor. The Clippers landed the 5th overall pick thanks to a trade with the Pacers, but after parting with James Harden and Ivica Zubac, it seems unlikely that LA will get back to contender status with Kawhi Leonard during the rest of Jokic’s prime.
The only other potential negative is that the Nuggets’ division rivals, the Jazz, walked away with the second overall pick. That could become annoying quickly, but shouldn’t be much of a threat to the Nuggets’ immediate title hopes.
Still, the Jazz have a solid core with Keyonte George, Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, and Ace Bailey, plus they traded for Jaren Jackson Jr. Throw in this number two pick and another potential young star, and this Utah team could get very good very quickly.
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