Sean Keeler: The joke’s on Joker. And us. Trust the basketball gods to give Denver one of the most watered-down draft classes in modern NBA history in a summer when the Nuggets absolutely need to find some diamonds among all that rough. The upside? We’re losing sleep over tweaks, nips and tucks. The core of the roster remains one of the NBA’s best — it’s all about finding the right (and affordable) pieces to complement Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, (probably) Michael Porter Jr. and (maybe) Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. According to our colleague Bennett Durando, the Nuggs are going to have a hard time swinging a trade out of pick No. 28 without some major structural upheaval along the way, though. No worries. I say the right finishing piece can still be had late in the first round on Wednesday. What say you?
Troy Renck: The NBA has more rules about the apron than “Ciao House” on Food Network. A trade is tricky because the players the Nuggets need to ship out — center Zeke Nnaji and backup point guard Reggie Jackson — will net only $9.3 million in wiggle room even when attaching the 28th pick. That’s not enough financial flexibility. Given the Nuggets lean toward draft and development, I expect them to stay put and trust the Magic 8 Ball with a late first-rounder. They need to hit on this selection given the empty calories provided thus far by Nnaji and Julian Strawther.
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Keeler: As a wise coach once told me, you either win or you learn. So what did we learn from the last nine months? For one thing, you can never have enough 3-point weapons. For another, it’s time to give Jokic and Gordon some front-line help down low — and help that coach Michael Malone can trust in the regular season to preserve Joker and AG’s legs for another nice, long playoff run. So why not draft a kid who ticks both boxes? Dayton’s 6-foot-10 DaRon Holmes II is a long (7-foot-1 wingspan) leaper with range who averaged 2.6 blocks per 40 minutes and was the Atlantic 10’s Defensive Player of the Year. On paper, the dude sounds a little like Aaron Gordon Lite, which more than works for me.
Renck: There is a belief in league circles that Holmes has been told he is the Nuggets’ pick. He makes sense, but let’s be honest and admit he presents risks. He shot 36% from beyond the arc last season, but was that a sign of development or an anomaly after his 27% figure the previous two years? If he isn’t a threat from 3 on pick-and-pops then his value becomes questionable on this Nuggets team. Holmes is likely the pick, but I am not convinced.
Keeler: Zach Edey? Yves Missi? Kel’el Ware? Any one of those big dudes would fit nicely as a Joker understudy. Alas, they’ll probably also all be off the board by No. 28. If not Holmes II, Duke big man Kyle Filipowski ticks some of those same boxes. The Nuggs have their offense sorted out — it’s about getting some 3-point marksmen with defensive chops who can shut down other teams’ long-range threats. Baylor’s 6-7 Jalen Bridges might be a crazy reach at 28, but with a 6-10 wingspan and 3-point touch, he’s not too far off the right idea, either.
Renck: Jokic needs a stunt double. No doubt. But is that a more pressing need than the scoring-starved second unit? Providing help there could actually keep Jamal Murray fresh throughout the season and stronger in the playoffs, when this year a calf injury sabotaged his jump shot. It could also provide protection if Christian Braun does not develop into a better marksman (He looked timid, if not scared to shoot, in the playoffs). Holmes or a big man is the auto-pick. That has all the creativity of drawing a circle on Etch-A-Sketch. I’d rather the Nuggets throw colors on the canvas with Marquette guard Tyler Kolek — he can nail shots from all three levels and is a strong passer — or Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman — a possible replacement for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope — and see what sticks.
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