The dust has settled on the Nuggets' only trade of the year, completed just before the NBA trade deadline. Now, it's a good time to take a look at where they stand in future NBA drafts. I spoke about the implications of the salary dump, and how it opens the door to potentially re-signing Peyton Watson. Let's dive into which picks remain under Denver control after a wild flurry of trades came in from across the league.
Per data available from RealGM., the Nuggets remain the owners of the following first-round picks plus their attached conditions:
• 2026 – Own pick.
• 2027 – Owns the rights to picks 1-5; 6-30 to OKC or LAC.
• 2028 – Owns the rights to picks 1-5; 6-30 to OKC if not already settled.
• 2029 – Owns the rights to picks 1-5; 6-30 to OKC if not already settled.
• 2030 – Owns the rights to picks 1-5; 6-30 to OKC if not already settled.
• 2031 – Own pick.
For the second-round:
• 2028 – Owns the rights to picks 31-33; 34-60 to WAS.
• 2032 – Own pick.
Half of the Nuggets' future picks remain
I'm sure it will all change this summer in the ever-shifting landscape that is NBA draft picks, but for now, the Nuggets' front office brass have them in only a so-so spot. They'd have to miss the playoffs next season to enter the lottery, so it seems most likely that the 2027 or 2028 first-rounder is the one that OKC selects. It's painful to see their biggest rival
And it breaks down to a total of seven draft picks out of a possible 14 over the next seven years. Thankfully, they've got control of the first-rounders. Not too many second-rounders blossom into the type of player a first-round pick does. Especially not the type of player who is drafted during a Taco Bell commercial and ends up as perhaps the best player in the world (yes, Nikola Jokic).
The Nuggets are going to have to rely heavily on free agency and getting the absolute most out of every trade down the road, a tough task for a team that has had luxury tax issues in the past. But isn't that a nice statement? In the past? We should be grateful that they're under the threshold for the first time in years. It creates a whole new world of opportunity this summer.