The Denver Nuggets are stubbornly refusing to provide content by naming a GM (or even a President of Basketball Operations) which means we have to talk about something that the Nuggets may not have a part in at all: the NBA Draft.

The Nuggets currently have no picks in this draft. I repeat: unless something changes, there is nothing for Denver to do currently in the 2025 NBA draft. You can stop reading this article now if you want. Denver has tradable players (again, once they have a named GM) as well as a 2031 pick that could be swapped to bring draft assets closer to Denver’s contention window, including this year.

Will they make any of those player trades? Will they give up their only future draft asset to move into a class that does not feature expected deep talent much beyond the lottery? The Nuggets have a drafted player with zero NBA on-court experience already in DaRon Holmes II, who missed all of last year with an Achilles injury and is expected to be a rotation player this year. How many rotation players with no experience do you want to add to a contender? Isn’t that part of the problem that got us here in the first place: no bench to prop up the starters, no depth to fill in for injuries or to take the minutes load off the starters?

Well first off: the Nuggets a top-5 that can win a title. Many teams struggle at the top, but Denver is not one of those squads. They are unfortunately top-heavy and there are two ways to deal with that considering Denver’s salary constraints (self-imposed and otherwise): get cheap vets who know how to play, or get upside, ready-now rookies with low salaries. Denver did a third thing in a pivotal 2023 draft: low-ceiling rookies with low salaries but guaranteed contracts. It did not work out as Julian Strawther, Jalen Pickett and Hunter Tyson have taken roster spots without much in the way of production. The Nuggets would have to trade significant assets for a first (at minimum swapping the 2031 first for a pick this year as well as one in a future year most likely), but might be able to buy a second rounder without necessarily having to trade someone and could do that on draft night if the right player falls.

But either way, if Denver is going to add someone in this draft, they’d better be able to play, right now and effectively. On that note: who can play in this draft that Denver can get? Let’s go through some ideas, but keep these things in mind:

  1. No sure-fire lottery picks. It’s unlikely Denver can trade into the lottery, so we’re not going to be talking about drafting VJ Edgecombe, for instance. If Denver is adding a first-round pick it’s likely coming from teams with several that don’t really want to use all of them this year. Think the Wizards (who have #6 as well as #18 in the first round, and #40 in the second), Orlando (16, 25, 46, 57) or the Nets (8, 19, 26, 27, 36). Maybe they pull off something else with a combo player/picks trade, but if that happens I’ll get to write a second article – and I’m not holding my breath. The players below are guys who are likely on the board between picks 15 and 30.
  2. No second-contract guys. Peyton Watson was (and is) a second-contract guy: someone who needs the time to grow his game after very minimal college contributions. If Denver is maximizing its window for Nikola Jokic, then it needs players who can help now, not 4 playoff runs from now.

So with that said… here are some options for the first round! Part 2 later in the week will cover some second round options.

First Rounders

The Pro: Nique Clifford, SG, Colorado State
Height: 6’5.25 without shoes, 6’8 wingspan
Age: 23
Synopsis: Older, all-around two-way player with smarts and hustle

One of the things Denver missed when they promoted Christian Braun to a starting role after KCP’s departure was, well, Christian Braun on the bench. Nique gives them another chance at that. He’s a very smart defensive player almost identically sized to Braun. He doesn’t quite have Christian’s hops, but he’s a sneaky creator like Braun and has a better mid-range game, and runs in transition very well. Clifford is a two-way player that doesn’t get flustered, just works the problem – if he’s beat he can get recovery blocks, he switches assignments well, and he can find the open man on offense after drawing a crowd. He’s shot around 38% from deep and 77% from the line the last 2 seasons, so he’s not a late-game liability if called upon, but really he’s your extra defender and hustle player who can guard up with a strong frame in a swingman role, grab rebounds, and run basket-to-basket while constantly making correct choices.

His offensive game is both varied and an opportunity for growth in the league; he has scoring skills now at all three levels and carried the Rams with those skills, but he doesn’t have to score or even have the ball in his hands to be useful. He moves without it just fine and is always looking to make an impact defensively. He is a high-floor player on both sides of the ball. Malone probably would have said that he just “plays the game the right way.” Think of him like Alex Caruso or Josh Hart, guys who can key a bench unit without needing to dominate the ball and can bring that energy to starting units too. He’s not flashy, but neither was CB – and Nique would be an immediate rotation player also like CB. Braun himself might get a $150 million extension this year – locking down another one for the price of a non-lotto first just seems like good business.

The Bucket: Walter Clayton Jr., G, Florida
Height: 6’2 without shoes, 6’4 wingspan
Age: 22
Synopsis: Fearless range scorer who’s a bit of a tweener

Clayton just has It, whatever It is. Put a basketball in his hands and going right or left, uncovered or blitzed, he’ll put the ball in the bucket. He’s a wonderful range scorer who isn’t quite automatic from deep, but that’s partly because he doesn’t care about degree of difficulty. He’s not a true point guard yet as his turnovers and full-court pressure issues indicate, but he can be a ball-dominant guard who is a willing and capable passer – he just wants to score first, as he should. Because he’s small for the two-guard role there are some questions about his real fit in the NBA. Is he too slow to stop 1s but two small against 2s? He does well covering off-ball and has quick hands in passing lanes, and he grew into things like screen navigation and on-ball stoppage as his college career went on, but you really aren’t drafting him for his defensive acumen. He’s only available if enough teams think he’s more Seth Curry than Steph Curry (verrrry-lite) and is more suited to the bench role.

You draft Clayton because he’s a bucket, and Denver desperately needs that. As with anyone his size, paint scoring among the trees is a question, but he puts players on his hip for drives to the basket, looks to pass inside, runs a good transition offense… basically everything Denver would ask of a bench guard he can do, and that includes taking and making the damn open shots generated by the offense. He moves exceptionally well without the ball and relocates to make himself available for those shots, but can pull up for a shot at exceptional range. There’s always the potential for too much overlap with Jamal Murray’s skillset, even though Mal is a bigger guard. Clayton is not often explosive despite his 6’2 height, but he doesn’t play small either. He uses his body to get space – or drafts off screens at a very high level – and then makes the best use of it. The way he plays suits the way Denver plays, it’s just a matter of whether they want to trade in for a guard who may not be given the keys to anything or get the shot attempts to maximize his skillset. He is still raw as a point guard and isn’t getting any taller. But if you wanted to draft a mini-Jamal to give Actual Jamal some more time off, the option is Clayton.

The Toolkit: Cedric Coward, G, Washington State
Height: 6’5.25 without shoes, 7’2.25 wingspan
Age: 21
Synopsis: all the tools to be a terror, needs polishing

Cedric might have been a lottery player if he hadn’t gotten injured early in the season – and honestly might still be anyway. His shoulder is fine now, and he’s demolishing opponents in pre-draft workouts so badly that he is skipping his opportunity to transfer to Duke in order to try for the NBA now. He started as a Division 3 player, but his tools are top-notch: massive wingspan, reliable deep shot, good free throw shooter, physical and smart on defense. He has the frame to become an even stronger perimeter wing defender, and if he is not always the most explosive lateral mover he’s got the wingspan to make up for it and recover with blocks and deflections. This is the Kawhi Leonard starter pack, except he can already shoot. Nobody is The Claw, but Cedric has the right connection to the floor and balance on both ends to play through contact in the paint or across screens. Everything he does just looks like The Right Thing To Do. He erases possessions, has a useful handle, can post up smaller players or shoot over bigger ones, handle spot-up 3s or cuts for dunks with equal ease.

I don’t think his defense counts as exceptional yet. I don’t think he is capable of being a real offensive initiator yet. He still isn’t a finished product, but you can see the potential for him to be a special two-way player. He and Jalen Williams have many of the same gifts, from frame to shot-making to “havin’ that dawg in ’em” that it’s not hard to see a redux of that kind of rise with pro coaching and the right players around him. He is an incredibly efficient offensive player who also plays like a dogged rebounder and defensive hawk with the steals and deflections that Denver’s defenses have to create. The lack of high-level experience is the sticking point – but if he had it, he wouldn’t be available. Someone will roll the dice, and if Denver trades into the first round they could do worse than a play-now player who can push for a starter role once pro coaches get him in the gym.

First Round Thoughts

The Nuggets should not trade into the first round without the expectation of getting a playoff-rotation-capable player. If they just need a regular-season guy, that’s what second round fliers are for and that opportunity should come quite a bit cheaper. If they are trading into the late-teens or early-twenties of this draft it’s got to be for someone who can do what Christian Braun did: provide some meaningful playoff help in his first year with the potential for future growth. That’s the only reason to sacrifice the future for the present – because the Joki-centric present is where the rings need to be grabbed.

Part 2 will be up later in the week!