The Athletic has live coverage of the 2023 NBA Draft.
The Denver Nuggets are just getting over the champagne effects of winning their first NBA championship. But with the NBA Draft coming on Thursday night, free agency next week and NBA Summer League a week after that, the business of basketball and its realities are here.
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Now that the Nuggets are on the top of the mountain, how do they stay there?
That quest began on Wednesday.
Guard Bruce Brown, who served as an integral member of head coach Michael Malone’s rotation, declined his player option and will hit unrestricted free agency, a move first reported by The Athletic. On Wednesday afternoon, the Nuggets executed a trade with the Indiana Pacers that will garner them the 29th and 32nd pick of Thursday’s draft, league sources who were granted anonymity to speak freely confirmed to The Athletic. That will give Denver three picks on Thursday night, including a coveted first-rounder.
GO DEEPER
Bruce Brown makes his mark in Denver, as Michael Malone hoped he would: 'A perfect fit for us'
Brown’s situation is unique. According to league sources, there is mutual interest in him returning to Denver, but the most the Nuggets can offer him is $7.8 million because they don’t hold Brown’s Bird rights. Brown was terrific for Denver this season and even better in the playoffs. What he provided — stellar defense, shooting from the perimeter, rim pressure off the dribble and effective secondary ballhandling — wouldn’t easily be replicated in Denver’s rotation should Brown leave in free agency.
Because of his versatility, Brown’s market is expected to be significant. A team could very well come in and make him an offer the Nuggets simply can’t match. It’s one of the reasons Denver displayed so much urgency on its way to the championship. There has always been the thought that retaining the full 2022-23 roster would be difficult.
This doesn’t mean Brown won’t return to the Nuggets. He built a nice bond with Denver — the organization, the fan base and the community as a whole. But it does mean the Nuggets must prepare for the possibility of Brown not returning.
As such, the front office has been aggressive recently. Wednesday’s trade is designed to maximize Denver’s title window as the team continues to fortify its rotation around Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray. This season’s formula around the Nuggets’ two best players was simple but not easily executed: find as many tough, athletic and lengthy perimeter defenders as possible, preferably guys who can make shots. Expect the Nuggets to maintain that formula during Thursday’s draft.
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Denver has eyed a few standout prospects from the pre-draft process, which the Nuggets continued with workouts on Tuesday, sources said. If the Nuggets lose Brown, that also likely means an uptick in responsibility for Christian Braun, who played important minutes as a rookie and came up big when it really mattered. The Nuggets are also high on Peyton Watson, a 2022 first-round wing from UCLA who has taken some time to develop but has some physical traits in a 6-foot-8 frame that are difficult to ignore.
Watson didn’t make Malone’s postseason rotation, but he showed defensive promise in extended minutes toward the end of the regular season. He has upside with the ball in his hands and is a dynamic athlete. If Brown goes elsewhere, Watson has a chance to make an impact for the Nuggets next season.
The Nuggets having three picks in this draft may loom huge, considering the depth, talent and value all the way through the first round and beyond. With Denver valuing wings — particularly those with high upside — there will be plenty of projects to choose from. If they want to take a swing on someone who can possibly develop into a star, someone like Gregory “G.G.” Jackson could be available. If they value guys who are terrific defenders, someone like Jalen Wilson or Ryan Rupert could be could both be available. If they want someone who might be able to contribute to a rotation instantly, someone like Jamie Jacquez could be the way to go.
If Brown doesn’t return, what the Nuggets need are defenders and another secondary ballhandler to help Murray and Jokić. They also need to take as many swings as possible in the draft in order to have playable guys in the rotation around Murray and Jokić who are on cost-controlled and team-controlled rookie contracts. There is a significant financial component to think about now that the league entering the new collective bargaining agreement, and the Nuggets could be flirting with the dreaded second luxury tax apron if they don’t find some help from players on rookie contracts.
Most importantly, this week has been about extending a title window of a core that’s just entering its prime. The Nuggets have a championship. They want more. Wednesday’s moves are designed to keep Denver in position to achieve more.
(Photo of Bruce Brown: C. Morgan Engel / NBAE via Getty Images)
