- 2018-19 record: 54-28 (1st in Northwest Division)
- Draft picks: none
Draft Priority: Finding the Next Jokic or Morris
If there’s anyone who has had a lot of second-round luck in recent years, it’s the Denver Nuggets. In the 2014 NBA Draft, Denver nabbed Nikola Jokic at No. 41 overall. Now he appears in the running to be a consensus top ten player in the league. In 2017, the Nuggets drafted Monte Morris at No. 51, who now looks like he could be a starter for half the teams in the league.
Although the Nuggets do not currently have a second-round pick at their disposal, it shouldn’t be too difficult to acquire another. The 76ers, Clippers and Kings all have multiple second-round picks and are all poised to make a big splash in this year’s loaded free agency class. Denver could offer a big bag of cash to these teams looking to make a splash in return for taking the financial commitment of another project player off their hands.
Top Draft Targets: Jontay Porter, Naz Reid, Daniel Gafford
Looking ahead to the future, the Nuggets could use a little revitalization to their big man rotation. Paul Millsap’s fate with the organization is still unclear and none of Trey Lyles, Tyler Lydon or Jarred Vanderbilt look capable of being the immediate heir to the position. Mason Plumlee has been a relatively effective rim protector and spot-starter but is also on the last year of his deal.
The Nuggets could capitalize on the family connection and bring in another talented player who saw his stock drop due to injuries in Jontay Porter. His shooting ability differs him from the traditional big man archetype and could even be playable next to Jokic in spurts. Naz Reid also plays like a guard in a big man’s body that would lend itself well to Denver’s pass-centric system.
Tune in tonight at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT to see who the Portland Trail Blazers select and how all the drama unfolds.