The Denver Nuggets needed to add youth and athleticism, defense, rim protection, and ball control in the 2026 NBA Draft. It was supposed to be a deep draft, and the Nuggets were going to have their shot at multiple prospects that fit their needs. Instead, the Nuggets took a pivot when the board dried up, and they took the smart decision and traded out of the first round to stock the cupboard where the draft assets were bare.
The first round of the NBA Draft started a run on the prospects that mock drafts had been projecting the Nuggets would select with pick number 26 early, and by the time the Nuggets were on the clock, they were happy enough to shop the pick to the San Antonio Spurs, and trade out of the first round entirely.
Denver is trading No. 26 to the San Antonio Spurs for No. 35 and two future second round picks, sources said. The Spurs pick Tarris Reed Jr. at No. 26.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 24, 2026
ESPN's Shams Charania announced and confirmed the trade just as Adam Silver delivered the news. The Nuggets turned one first-round pick into three seconds, which, honestly, given the prospects that were left, was probably the best thing the Nuggets could have done given the circumstances.
The Nuggets needed any picks they could get their hands on
The Nuggets' draft asset cupboard was truly bare coming into this draft. The Nuggets had only four future first-round picks, including the one they just traded. And they only had two second-round picks, including this year's, and the likelihood of the Nuggets landing between 31-33 in 2028 to get the other pick was going to be slim at best, essentially leaving them without a future second-round pick.
As soon as Zuby Ejiofor, the perfect pick for the Nuggets at pick 26, was taken just three spots earlier at pick 23 by the Atlanta Hawks, the trade almost felt inevitable. All of the immediate impact players that could have been in the rotation right away were off the board, so the right move was to trade the pick.
Too bad the Nuggets couldn't attach Zeke Nnaji
The Nuggets will get the 35th pick of the draft and two future second-round picks, but the hope was that if the Nuggets traded the first-round pick, they could attach Zeke Nnaji and the $7.4 million he's owed this year to someone else to dump the salary. That didn't pan out because it seemed like a dream to get out from under that contract so easily.
All in all, given the prospects that were taken off the board, the decision to make a trade for the future picks was a no-brainer for the Nuggets to reload draft assets.
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