Nuggets trade out of NBA Draft first round

Key Points:

• The Denver Nuggets traded their 26th overall first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft to the San Antonio Spurs for the 35th pick and two future second-round picks (2028 Minnesota and 2031 Sacramento), aiming to replenish their depleted draft assets.
• Nuggets co-general managers Jon Wallace and Ben Tenzer have less than 24 hours to decide whether to use the 35th pick or trade it for more future capital, reflecting their strategy to build a broader asset base amid a perceived talent drop-off after pick 20 in the 2026 draft.
• Denver faces challenges balancing luxury tax considerations and roster improvement, with some contracts (Christian Braun and Zeke Nnaji) seen as negative assets; using new picks to shed salaries without gaining talent would indicate a focus on tax savings over competitiveness.
• The Nuggets have not drafted in the top 20 since 2018 and have seen mixed results from late first-round picks, with some players like Braun and Watson becoming rotation contributors while others have struggled or been traded.
• Former GM Calvin Booth’s tenure involved trading away many future draft picks for immediate gains, leaving the current front office with one of the league’s most depleted asset pools, which Wallace and Tenzer are now trying to rebuild through cautious draft-day moves.