As the Nuggets prepare for Game 4 of the NBA Finals, their front office has reached an agreement on a trade with the Thunder, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
According to Wojnarowski, Denver will receive three draft picks in the swap: this year’s No. 37 selection, the least favorable of the Thunder’s 2024 first-round picks, and a 2024 second-rounder.
Oklahoma City, meanwhile, will receive Denver’s 2029 first-round pick, with some protections on it.
The Thunder currently control four 2024 first-round selections. In addition to their own first-rounder, they’ll receive Houston’s pick (if it lands outside the top four), the Clippers’ pick (unprotected), and Utah’s pick (if it’s outside of the top 10). As a result of this new agreement, the Nuggets will receive whichever of those picks conveyed in ’24 lands latest in the first round.
As for the ’24 second-rounder, the Thunder have traded away their own pick, but are owed the least favorable of Charlotte’s and Minnesota’s second-rounders. It sounds like that will be the selection rerouted to Denver.
From the Nuggets’ perspective, it looks like the deal is about continuing to give the front office opportunities to add inexpensive young players to a championship-caliber core in the next year or two. The team did well to add Christian Braun and Peyton Watson outside of the top 20 in the 2022 draft and will aim to identify more hidden gems with the Nos. 37 and 40 picks in the 2023 draft. As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter), Denver is a tax team, so those second-rounders will give the club some tools to fortify its bench at a low cost.
As for the Thunder, they’ll simply roll some of their draft assets down the road — the goal will be to turn a late 2024 first-rounder into a more favorable pick in the 2029 draft, using a couple second-rounders as sweeteners.
The two Northwest rivals made a similar trade last June, when the Nuggets acquired the No. 30 pick in 2022 (used on Watson) and a pair of second-rounders in exchange for their lightly protected 2027 first-rounder.
The Nuggets owe their 2025 first-round pick (top-five protected) to Orlando and their 2027 first-rounder (top-protected) to Oklahoma City. If either of those picks lands in its protected range and isn’t conveyed immediately, the Thunder wouldn’t be able to receive Denver’s 2029 pick due to the Stepien rule, which prevents a team from leaving itself without a first-rounder in consecutive future drafts.
We’ll have to wait to see exactly when this trade is completed and what the details on the protections are to know what would happen if the 2025 or 2027 pick ends up in the top five, preventing the 2029 pick from conveying. If the two teams wait until after the June 22 draft to officially complete the deal, they could include terms allowing the pick to roll over to 2030 if it’s not conveyed in 2029. For now, that’s not permitted, since draft picks can’t be traded more than seven years out.
No!! Why do we keep trading for future 1sts? We better make a big trade or something this off-season
Roster space
Thunder are loaded with cap space and ready to compete. They’re gonna fill out their roster that way, not with 2nd round picks.
Relax….this is a great trade for OKC. They don’t need numerous short term picks. Kicking some way down the road will be beneficial. Especially is Denver is terrible in 2029 which could happen.
It’s just kicking one of the firsts down the road. It’s quite smart really.
Makes sense for DEN with the new CBA rules, and the likelihood they’ll have to go above the second apron if their run as a contender continues for a few years. Teams in that situation won’t have a lot of ability to add veterans to the mix (other than at minimum).
OKC fans should be happy about a trade like this. The 37th puck isn’t likely to “hit” and become an impact rotation player for next season (if ever), and DEN will likely be on the downside of Jokic, Murray, Porter’s careers, if they are still playing. With DEN bot having a lot in draft capital over the next 5 years, OKC may end up with a Top 10 pick for a pick that is a coin flip on whether they ever see court tome .
Plus they still have 3 likely firsts in that draft. Which will all be higher picks compared to the ones traded away.
Nuggets need a 1st rounder to draft the next Braun. Let’s go nuggets!
Calvin Booth should be executive of the year just for bringing in KCP and Bruce Brown. Both were brilliant moves.
100%
Watching KCP getting attacked by Miami for two consecutive plays really showed why he’s such a solid and versatile piece for any contending team.
On the first play, Butler tries to take KCP in the paint amd back him down, only to have KCP deflect the ball away resulting in a Miami turnover.
On the very next play, Bam goes right at KCP thinking he has a mismatch, only for KCP to hold his ground, leading to Bam having to shoot a contested fall-away jumpshot, which he missed as KCP went up and had his hand right in front of Bam’s face his entire shooting motion…
Also, I could be wrong, but I believe KCP even got the rebound on that last play as well..
Denver identified the exact type of players they wanted to play alongside their core, and they did an excellent job acquiring guys like KCP, Brown, Green, Braun, and they even more talent sitting on their bench, because they’ve really only needed to utilize an 8-man rotation.
They haven’t even needed the likes of Reggie Jackson, Thomas Bryant, Nnaji, Cancar, Ish Smith, or Watson…
I’m just glad Murray, MPJ, and the Nuggets were all healthy enough this season to finally be able to TRULY make a run at the Title. They built this team up the correct way, and now they’re reaping the rewards!!
Why are traded being done in the playoffs. You couldn’t do this in the past. Silver please stop ruining the credibility of the NBA.