It may seem far away, especially for a contending team like the Nuggets, but it’s never too early for NBA Mock Drafts, and unlike last year, Denver actually has a first-round pick as of today. Christopher Kline of FanSided released his first mock recently, which has the Nuggets taking big man Joshua Jefferson, out of Iowa State, with the 27th overall pick.
Jefferson is undersized for a center in the league at just 6’8”, but he uses his size, strength, athleticism, and basketball IQ to offer a sort of Jokic imitation for the Cyclones, working as an offensive playmaking hub, often out of the high post.
Denver brought in Jonas Valanciunas to back up Jokic this season, but that’s not a long-term solution by any means. They’ve tried bringing along younger, drafted bigs like Zeke Nnaji and DaRon Holmes in recent years, but it’s unclear if either will ever actually be a viable solution.
To an extent, they’ll always be looking for answers in the frontcourt when Jokic sits, so a player like Jefferson, who could theoretically run a similar offense as the Joker and keep the team in a rhythm when the three-time MVP hits the bench, as he’ll need to more and more, if the team expects to keep him fresh as he enters his 30s.
Jefferson would be logical option for Nuggets' bench
Now a 22-year-old senior, Jefferson played his first two years at Saint Mary’s before transferring to Iowa State. This season, he’s averaging 17.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists in 31 minutes per game through 16 contests. He’s also shooting over 50% from the floor and has upped his three-point shooting percentage to a respectable 36% on nearly 3 attempts per game.
He’s an older player, but he has developed every season of his career and should be ready to come into the league as NBA-ready. The Nuggets’ depth looks good this season, but with Christian Braun’s contract extension kicking in this summer, the team is going to get very expensive.
Guys who are making a big impact this season, like Peyton Watson, Valanciunas, Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr., and others, may be gone to make the finances work, and that means a lot of minutes opening up. The Nuggets have traded a lot of future draft capital, so this pick may be their best chance for a while at adding a young, cost-controlled rotation player.
If the Nuggets choose to keep this pick, they should try to invest in a player who can help the team immediately, ideally in the frontcourt. Based on what we’ve seen so far, Jefferson seems like a great option near the end of the first round.