NBA Draft Day Eve: A look at who all the latest mock drafts have the Nuggets taking

The 2024 NBA draft is less than 24 hours away and everyone and their mother is racing to make their final edits, jumble around their big boards, and polish off the final versions of their mock drafts. Even at the top of the draft, there’s more uncertainty than ever and the experts in the industry seem to be all over the board with their projections.

While it hasn’t been dubbed a very good draft, or one that’s high on top-end talent, it should be a deep draft with plenty of good players. The chaos and lack of consensus at the top should make things as interesting as ever and I think we could see some really bizarre picks and transactions on Wednesday night that seem to come out of left field and leave people scratching their heads.

All of these factors make for what should be an exciting evening filled with plot twists and surprises. It’s also an extremely important night for the Denver Nuggets, as it’s vital they cash in on the 28th overall pick and come away with a player or asset that can really help the team going forward.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at what the top expert mock drafts in the industry think the Nuggets will do with their first-round pick on Wednesday night.

ESPN: DaRon Holmes II, Dayton, PF/C

Much has been made about Holmes to the Nuggets. The versatile big man with perimeter skills would certainly be a great fit as a backup to Nikola Jokic in Denver. Jonathan Givony of ESPN is sticking with the pick here.

The Athletic: DaRon Holmes II, Dayton, PF/C

Sam Vecenie at the Athletic is also buying the Holmes to Denver hype. Again, the fit makes perfect sense for a number of reasons.

The Ringer: DaRon Holmes II, Dayton, PF/C

And yet another major media outlet sees Holmes ending up with the Nuggets. Usually, when there is this much smoke there is fire, so as much as we expect uncertainty, maybe the Nuggets’ pick is the one sure thing.

Yahoo Sports: Tyler Smith, G-League Ignite, F

Finally! Jake Fischer of Yahoo reported that there has been no guarantee or promise given by Denver to Holmes. Others had reported and speculated that many around the league assumed the opposite so it’s interesting to see these conflicting reports from reputable sources.

Fischer’s colleague Krysten Peek is aligned with Jake and is going against the grain with her mock draft. As for Smith, he’s a big wing or more traditional power forward who can play defense and shoot at a high level. The G-League Ignite were a mess last season so it’s hard to gleam much, but Smith could be an excellent selection.

Hoops Hype: Baylor Scheierman, Creighton, G

Michael Scotto also reported that the Nuggets did not make any promise to Holmes and believes the Dayton big will be off the board before Denver ever even has the chance to take him. He’s got Scheierman going to the Nuggets; one of the craftiest and most skilled offensive players in the draft.

He’s a big guard with shooting and ball skills who could come in and make magic alongside Jokic and the rest of the Nuggets on offense. There are some defense and athleticism questions, but this would be a great pick for the Nuggets.

All that’s left to do now is sit back and watch how it plays out. Go into the night with an open mind and hope for the best; the draft is mostly a big crapshoot anyway!