All the speculation and rumors are finally in the rearview as the Nuggets have made their first-round draft pick and selected DaRon Holmes II out of Dayton, but they had to trade up to get him. Denver swapped the 28th pick, the 56th pick, and two future second-round picks with the Suns to move up to 22nd overall and draft the guy they've been lusting for all along. This is a big moment for the franchise as the Nuggets badly need to get some utility out of this pick and they’ll be hoping for instant production.
Full trade: Denver sends No. 28, No. 56, plus the Nuggets' own 2026 and 2031 seconds to Phoenix for the No. 22 pick and the right to select DaRon Holmes II out of Dayton.
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) June 27, 2024
Nuggets get their guy; DaRon Holmes II out of Dayton
This is a big moment for the franchise as the Nuggets badly need to get some utility out of this pick and they’ll be hoping for instant production. The bench was a weakness last season and especially the backup frontcourt depth; Holmes should help in a big way.
He's a versatile 6'10" big man with some perimeter skills on both ends. He can defend around the rim, while also jumping out to stay with smaller players. On offense, he can do a bit of everything and extended his range out to the 3-point line last season. With any luck, the Nuggets finally won't hemorrhage points when Nikola Jokic rests.
Given the financial restrictions facing the Nuggets, hitting on this pick is critical for roster-building going forward. Whether or not they are able to bring back Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, they will have little more than minimum contracts to throw around in free agency, so barring a big trade, this may be their biggest offseason addition.
The Nuggets made a perfect pick
Who knows what the second round of the draft and the rest of the summer will bring, but the Nuggets did a good job of plugging a hole and filling a need. Holmes can help now and could be a big part of the team's future as well. There's even some hope that he can be able to play alongside Jokic at times.
This is all great news for the Nuggets and the fans should be thrilled. They had to nail this draft and it looks like they did. A+ job all around. There will be much more analysis coming on this pick, but tonight, Nuggets fans can go to sleep happy!