The Denver Nuggets are staring at a pretty thin run of draft assets over the next several years, and the picture gets especially tight when you zoom in on 2027 through 2033.
Right now, Denver’s next few drafts don’t offer much breathing room. The team is still months away from the 2027 NBA Draft, and its incoming rookies from this year’s class have not even played a preseason game yet. Still, the future board is worth checking now because the Nuggets’ path to adding young talent is limited by the moves they’ve made over the past several seasons.
Over the next seven drafts, Denver has nine total picks, with five first-rounders and four second-rounders. That includes a stretch in which the Nuggets may not have a pick at all in 2027 unless they land one through the lottery.
Their only real shot at a selection in that draft is by moving into the top five via lottery luck, and that is not the most likely outcome. If that doesn’t happen, Denver’s next first-round pick of its own would come in 2028, but only if the protected Oklahoma City Thunder pick conveys in 2027. The same setup applies again in 2029, when another protected pick is also in the Thunder’s possession.
The 2028 draft stands out as the one year in this stretch when the Nuggets could have multiple second-round picks. That’s the only draft across the next seven years where Denver is positioned to have more than one second-rounder.
Beyond that, the draft outlook stays tight. The Nuggets cannot trade a first-round pick they have on the books until 2031, and their second-round flexibility is described as extremely limited. That leaves them with one of the more difficult draft situations in the league.
If Denver can get back to a higher level of contention in the next season or two, the lack of draft capital may not feel as severe. But if the team keeps sliding over the next couple of years, finding a way to retool or rebuild through the draft becomes a much tougher proposition.
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For Denver, that kind of roster casualty is worth watching closely. If Nembhard clears waivers, he could draw interest from teams searching for backcourt depth, and the Nuggets are among the clubs mentioned in that conversation as they monitor the market for low-cost additions. Charlotte has already made a habit of reshaping its roster, including the earlier LaMelo Ball trade to Minnesota, so the possibility of another move down the line is very much alive. [Read more 🡒]
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Among the clubs that could at least take a look is Denver, where roster flexibility always matters and any extra wing depth tends to draw attention. Johnsons case is built around his energy and the possibility that a team could still see room for development, but for now his next stop remains unsettled as interested teams sort through their options. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Face A Telling Decision On Their Young Wing's Future
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The timing matters because this is the only player on the roster eligible for a rookie-scale extension before the 2026-27 season, which gives the Nuggets a narrow window to weigh potential against finances. If his play takes another step and the teams salary-cap picture loosens down the road, a new contract could come back into focus, but for now the organization seems to be approaching the situation with patience rather than urgency. [Read more 🡒]