The Denver Nuggets finally made a draft pick after trading down and out of the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft, and at number 35 overall in the second round, they selected Trevon Brazile, a 6-foot-10 forward from the Arkansas Razorbacks. The seasoned fifth-year senior will instantly recharge the Nuggets' athleticism, and he could provide more than a few highlight reel plays down the road.
Introducing our newest Nugget! pic.twitter.com/4ZDK5nsacw
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) June 25, 2026
Brazile isn't just a little athletic. He's a lot athletic. He has a crazy 41.5-inch vertical jump, and combined with his 7-foot-3 wingspan, it gives Brazile real rim-protection abilities in the paint and the ability to block shots out of nowhere. He's instantly one of the Nuggets' most athletic players, and probably the best rim protector, too.
Brazile averaged 13.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.6 blocks in his final year at Arkansas. He shot 52.5% from the floor and was even a capable three-point shooter at 34.1%.
Brazile's game looks a lot like former Nugget Birdman Andersen's
Brazile's lengthy frame and highlight-reel blocks while patrolling the paint for the Razorbacks, combined with his vertical jumping ability, give him a remarkably similar profile to that of former fan favorite from many years ago, Chris "Birdman" Andersen. Like Birdman, Brazile uses the extra hops and length to get blocks you wouldn't expect him to otherwise make.
And on offense, he's a lob and put-back dunk machine, just like Birdman was. Brazile could find himself on the receiving end of a few highlight-lobs from Nikola Jokic, and he would absolutely fill the dunker role with ease. Brazile could even run a little pick-and-roll with Jokic for the lobs with his quickness and ability to grab just about anything Jokic would throw at him. The athleticism is real.
FanSided's Christopher Kline described Brazile on the Draft Big Board as a "long, jumpy rim protector who's comfortable sprinting the floor in transition and getting up for lobs." So, Birdman. Sounds great.
Brazile does come with some concerns, of course
There's always some sort of drawback with every draft pick, and one of the big ones with Brazile is the injury concern. He tore his right ACL in December of 2022, and he's a touch slower than he was prior to the injury, but he was still able to play in 36 games and average 31.5 minutes in 2025-26, so he does appear to be past most of it,
The Nuggets didn't do too bad for their first pick in two years. Brazile could be a lot of fun to watch, like Birdman was, and the Nuggets could use the athletic spark he'll provide.
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