Coming into the offseason, the Denver Nuggets had a bare cupboard of draft capital. Their actions this summer clearly showed that adding to the few future assets they had was a top priority. And it even affected how they approached the Peyton Watson trade and their rebuffing of trades for Cameron Johnson. In the end, the Nuggets got the future trade flexibility they desired from the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Watson sign-and-trade instead of taking a risk on another bad contract.
In a recent edition of the Denver Post, Bennett Durando says, "The Nuggets walked away feeling elated by the draft pick they wrangled out of a tough situation."
As the Nuggets should. Even though they lowered their asking price from a "Walker Kessler" level asking price, one that would have returned at least two first-round picks, that never developed. Instead, as Durando reports, the Nuggets took the only offer that resulted in a first-round pick coming back to Denver. Given the current state of the Cavaliers' own salary cap issues, that 2031-first round pick could be highly coveted in future trade talks for the Nuggets.
The Nuggets desperately needed tradeable draft assets
The Nuggets came into the offseason having no tradeable first-round picks, the only team in the NBA that was in that boat. Former Nuggets General Manager Calvin Booth had sent out most of the Nuggets' future assets in what became a failed attempt to add youth around three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. And last offseason, the Nuggets started their salary shedding by having to include their 2032 first-round pick to move Michael Porter Jr. to the Brooklyn Nets for Cameron Johnson.
So far this offseason, the Nuggets have added four future draft assets they can use to maneuver out of the NBA's second-apron luxury tax penalty zone. They not only added the first-round pick from the Cavs, but they also added a 2032-second round pick from the Sacramento Kings via the Cavs. Those will be added to the two second-round picks that the Nuggets picked up from the San Antonio Spurs in a draft-night trade that also resulted in the Nuggets selection of rookie Trevon Brazile.
The Nuggets didn't get handcuffed by another potential bad contract
The Nuggets already had two bad contracts on the roster in Zeke Nnaji and Christian Braun. They didn't need to take a risk by adding a third with Watson, who ended up agreeing to a four-year, $88 million deal with the Cavs.
The Nuggets chose the business route of added flexibility, largely to help them navigate their way out of the second apron, like every other team has this summer. At the end of the day, adding draft assets to the cupboard proved to be their choice over Watson and potential handcuffs in the future.
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