NBA
Despite being in the Finals, the Nuggets have traded with the Thunder to get a package of future draft picks
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated09 Jun 2023
The Denver Nuggets still need to take care of business in the 2023 Finals. That doesn’t mean that they can’t plan for the future at the same time. Their players are locked in on winning a title. On the other hand, the front office can focus on the future. As reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Nuggets have traded with the Thunder to get a package of future draft picks.
It seems as though Denver’s front office sees real potential in this roster. You would think the betting favorite in the Finals would be satisfied at the moment. Not the Nuggets. They are trying to lengthen that championship window by adding draft picks to use down the line.
The NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement is going to make it harder for luxury tax teams to sign veteran players. There will be an emphasis on drafting talent and developing them through the system. Denver is preparing for that to happen.
NBA Finals trade: The Denver Nuggets are acquiring the least favorable of Oklahoma City’s first-round picks in 2024, the 37th pick in the 2023 draft and 2024 second-round pick for a protected 2029 first-round, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 9, 2023
The Denver Nuggets have traded with the Oklahoma City Thunder for a package of future draft picks
In this deal, Denver is sending the Thunder a protected 2029 first-round pick. The Nuggets will be acquiring a 2024 first- and second-round pick and a 2023 second-round pick. This has been the Thunder’s strategy for a few seasons now. They now have a 2029 first-round draft pick at their disposal.
The Nuggets now have the 37th and 40th overall picks in the 2023 NBA draft. This gives the Nuggets’ front office a chance to sign some talent on low-cost contracts. Denver will then develop their players through the system and make them all-stars.
That’s what the Nuggets were able to do with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Jokic was drafted in 2014 by Denver and Murry was drafted in 2016. Being able to develop young talent through your organization makes winning a championship that much sweeter. The Nuggets’ roster is mostly players they’ve drafted and developed through the years.
Additionally, the Thunder owns the Nuggets’ 2027 first-round pick from the JaMychal Green trade last season. Moving forward, OKC still has a sizeable amount of draft picks at their disposal for the future. They own a whopping 15 first-round picks through the 2029 NBA draft.
