The defending champion Denver Nuggets already pulled off a pretty major deal during the NBA Finals, acquiring multiple draft picks from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for a 2029 first-round selection.
The idea for general manager Calvin Booth and Co. was to trade back into the first round of Thursday’s NBA Draft. One day before the draft comes calling, that has now happened.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Denver has acquired a first-round pick (29th overall) and second-round selection (32nd) from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for the 40th pick and a 2024 first-round selection.
Per Woj, Denver is moving the least favorable of its two first-round picks in the 2024 NBA Draft to Indiana in the deal.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Denver Nuggets saw valuable wing Bruce Brown opt out of his contract. While Denver has made it clear that it wants to retain him, making this move gives the team other options should the veteran depart in free agency next month.
Related: NBA trade tracker and grades
Depth was a major factor in Denver earning the NBA title this past season. It won’t be impacted too much by free agency.
However, adding more draft capital to build up said depth amid major changes to the NBA salary cap is a tremendous team-building method.
The Denver Nuggets now have three picks in the 2023 NBA Draft (29th, 32nd and 37th overall). Heck, they could even move up more should some possibilities come up.