It’s hard to call the offseason a home run for the Nuggets, but it’s also hard to call it a total swing and a miss. They were able to draft the player they wanted in DaRon Holmes II, the big man out of Dayton. Though they had to part with 2nd round picks to get him and he has since torn his achilles, they should have a young player they like for years to come.
The team was dealt a tough blow when Kentavious Caldwell-Pope walked in free agency, but they were able to bring in proven veterans like Dario Saric and Russell Westbrook. They got a disappointing Summer League out of Jalen Pickett but saw great strides from Julian Strawther.
Even the Olympics it was a bit of a mixed bag. Jamal Murray looked woefully bad, failing to make a positive impact for a disappointing Team Canada. But Nikola Jokic was the most impressive player in the tournament and reminded the world that he is the best player alive.
What draft picks do the Nuggets currently have?
Now that we can turn the page on the offseason, we can look ahead at what future offseasons have in store for the team; specifically their draft picks. Unfortunately, the situation is pretty grim as the Nuggets have been shelling out picks left and right. Here’s where they currently stand.
2025: No picks
2026: Own 1st-round pick
2027: No picks
2028: Own 1st-round pick
2029: No picks
2030: Own 1st-round pick
2031: Own 1st-round pick
In a word, yikes! Due to the NBA’s Stepien rule, teams aren’t allowed to trade 1st-round draft picks in consecutive years and can’t trade picks further than seven years out. In other words, this is basically the minimum amount of picks one team can have at any given time.
The only pick that the Nuggets can currently trade is their 2031 1st-rounder. Some of the picks they owe are protected, but only very lightly, and are almost sure to convey barring a complete collapse where the Nuggets’ pick lands in the top 5.
On the one hand, it’s good that the team has been aggressive in trading picks while they have the best player in franchise history in Jokic. But on the other hand, it’s somewhat depressing their assets are so depleted while the roster still needs work.
Should the Nuggets look to trade their remaining draft picks?
They can dangle the 2031 1st, but that’s a scary proposition considering Jokic will be 36 by then and the team may look a lot different by then. Mortgaging the future comes with a lot of risk, but Jokic is worthy of that investment if the right deal comes along.
Ideally, the Nuggets can find a smaller deal where the team can actually bring back some picks. Perhaps several of their young players hit and they are able to move someone for a few 2nd-round picks. That would help to replenish the assets and give them more flexibility to improve the team on the margins.
Obviously, this is all easier said than done. The reality of the situation is that the Nuggets have as few tradable assets as just about any team in the entire league. They better hope that some of their young players hit, because as of now, they won’t be adding through the draft for quite a while.