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[Woj] NBA Finals trade: The Denver Nuggets are acquiring the least favorable of Oklahoma City’s first-round picks in 2024, the 37th pick in the 2023 draft and 2024 second-round pick for a protected 2029 first-round, sources tell ESPN.



[Woj] NBA Finals trade: The Denver Nuggets are acquiring the least favorable of Oklahoma City’s first-round picks in 2024, the 37th pick in the 2023 draft and 2024 second-round pick for a protected 2029 first-round, sources tell ESPN.

by Phenomenon98

32 Comments

  1. CoachJW

    I’m confused. Seems like a really bad and fairly pointless trade.

    Edit: Unless Presti is planning to go all in this year and expects the nuggets pick in 2029 to be better than ours next year. Otherwise just odd.

  2. Jt3thecrow

    Space out your picks, obviously can’t take everyone next year, but I don’t know if Denver is the team to trade with in this circumstance. Oh well, not much is lost here, and nothing really gained.

  3. I’m assuming this is consolidating picks that we don’t have roster spots for, or opening spots for FA, while growing assets further along the timeline. Not a bad situation to be in come 2029 assuming we’re a title contender and the nuggets roster will be flipped by then.

    Nuggets gain assets to go all in on an already championship quality roster now.

  4. talkingfacefloor

    lol this is like a trade i would do in 2K.

    Just kicking draft picks down to later years.

  5. Rthanos

    Looks like a bad deal but you just don’t have space for all those picks in the roster right now.

  6. Collosics

    It’s our worst FRP from 2024, this years 2RP, and a 2024 2RP.

  7. declanf24

    it just kicks the can down the road. we don’t have enough roster spots for those picks

  8. amari_prince

    Per Woj on the trade : *The Nuggets are trying to maximize their championship window and this deal gives them some additional chances at low-cost contracts and trade tools. For OKC, another first-round pick deep into the future. Denver also owes OKC top 5 protected 2027 Pick*

    This is very much a consolidation trade, and next year is expected to be a bad draft so trading away a pick likely in the mid 20’s is not bad.

  9. TheRtlm

    I think with the new cba restrictions it makes sense pushing some picks further out either as a trade piece or cheap contract to round out the roster

  10. 0siris0

    I can understand the concept of spreading picks out over years, but this seems…obtuse.

    A *protected* 2029 pick? Maybe if it’s top 5 protected, it kinda makes sense, but if it’s lottery protected…what’s the point….

    Seems like there would be more value to wait and trade then do this, now.

    And no 37th pick. I get it, we’re out of roster spots, but there’s nothing saying that the 37th is owed a roster spot. Dump him on a two way.

    I really don’t get it, from any angle. Seems like Presti would have other options. Also seems like he’s signaling he’s not using picks to move up in this draft (or next).

  11. AnkitPancakes

    Likely some subset of lottery protected (top5/top8/top10/top14). But the 2024 pick was gonna be like pick #25. at the least i’d imagine this pick has a decent chance of being in the teens and if we’re lucky maybe higher.

    this is a twofold deal

    1. acquire a higher value pick straight up

    2. if we had to utilize the pick next year, we’d have some problem w roster spots so this just kicks the problem down the road

  12. mediuqrepmes

    Interesting timing. The picks we traded struck me as ammo to move up in this draft. I’m surprised Presti would give them up now with the draft still 13 days away. Perhaps the trade up deals have been too rich for his liking?

  13. Doc_Marlowe

    Presti is looking at the up-and-coming 6th grade class next year, and planning ahead. He’s quoted as saying “we’ve identified some hoopers already, and hope to identify some other international prospects on a scouting trip in August.”

    /s

  14. soldadodecope

    A lot can happen in 6 years but a 34y.o Jokic and 32y.o Murray is still a playoff duo at The very least.

    Denver isnt The best option for a trade IMO.

  15. ThunderAdams12

    I wonder if Presti has seen the market for the picks next year and decided adding a couple seconds to make a pick next year turn into a pick other teams will want was worth it. I’m sure he’s called other GMs and gauged their desire to be pick heavy next year if we dumped ours on them.

  16. youforgotitinmeta

    Our draft picks next year:

    Own; HOU 5-30; LAC; UTH 11-30

    Will probably end up being that Utah pick imo. Assuming that they don’t completely tank this year…

    Here’s where it gets interesting though—we are already (potentially but unlikely as it will probably convey in 2027) owed Denver’s pick:

    2027 – Own; PHL 5-30 if not already settled; DEN 6-30 if DEN has conveyed 1st round pick to ORL by 2025

    2028 – Own; DEN 6-30 if not already settled and if DEN has conveyed 1st round pick to ORL by 2026

    2029 – Own; DEN 6-30 if not already settled

    So what this does essentially is turn whatever our worst pick is next year into the assurance that we’ll be getting a 1st rounder from Denver in 2029.

    Good move for Denver, good move for OKC. They get some cheap contracts to keep contending next year and we adjust our assets for when we need them the most as we’re swimming in cap hell trying to pay Shai/Giddey/Jdub/Chet/???

  17. FuzzyGreenGummies

    Any Thunder fan questioning Presti and his trades should know better by now.

    Sit back and enjoy the ride

  18. CreditBoss1993

    Other teams know OKC has to flip these picks as well, you take what you can and push these picks out to the future to prolong this window of building a title contender/dynasty

  19. dholmestar

    Don’t they have better things to worry about right now? Lol Presti playing 4D chess while they’re distracted

  20. ZarathustrasDad

    Having both Denver’s ‘27 and ‘29 picks could give the Thunder quite a bit of leverage over them in the future, as it effectively ties up their firsts for five years

  21. i_want_snow

    Theoretically the last favourable of our 2024 FRPs could be pick #2… which would be a great outcome because it means we would have the #1 pick.

  22. jmcokie

    2029 Denver has a 34yr old Jokic. Not that he will have a drop off. But that is when players usually officially look old. Plus 6 years into the environment of the new cba. Why would we pick a bunch of players now when we don’t completely know what kind of team we will need to build in a couple years, with the restrictions of the second apron. I fully think this is a wise move. 6 years is an eternity, give us a foot in an unknown door.

  23. Traditional_Low_431

    I do understand that we simply don’t have room for 4 firsts in 2024 (or even 3 for that matter), so I assumed we would push back some of our trade capital into the future. However, **I really don’t like this trade for three reasons**:

    1. We are giving up additional assets, even though the time value of draft picks would indicate that **we should be the team receiving the additional assets**.
    2. The Clippers have not been able to stay healthy, so I don’t think it’s likely that our least favorable draft pick is outside of the top 22 or 23, which is a pretty solid draft pick that we’re giving away. What are the odds that the Nuggets’ draft slot in 2029 is markedly better than this, especially if the pick is lottery protected?
    3. Most importantly, what happens if the Nuggets’ pick falls into those protections? Does the pick just convert into future 2nds? Do we get nothing at all? **I am scared that we might be trading this first for a pick that won’t even convert into a future 1st, which would make this a horrible trade.**

    I trust Presti, but I can’t say I’m a fan of the value we’re receiving, even if I understand the rationale of trading a current 1st for a future 1st.

  24. theblurben

    Trust in Presti but that 2024 pick could be semi valuable depending how things shake out. Maybe there’s something in place for that

  25. MakeCocktailsNotWar

    I’m a fan of this Trade, albeit the true defining level will be what protections are on the 2029 pick. Hope it’s nice and SPICY!

    ![gif](giphy|DkQjoMfqVdgCcRA65i|downsized)

  26. Cloudz777

    Ha! I’m not going to pretend to know how much this all means but I trust Presti enough to know this is good or at the very least, not bad.

  27. ETERNAL_DALMATIAN

    WAKE THE FUCK UP THERE’S PICK TRADE SLOP, BABE

    In 2024 Denver gets the worst of:

    * Thunder
    * Clippers
    * Rockets (Top 4 Protected)
    * Jazz (Top 10 Protected)

    We’re still going to get at least one FRP next year. Would love to know the protections on the DEN 2029 FRP, but I’d be very happy with the trade even if it’s like Top 10 protected. We can’t offer many minutes (let alone roster spots) to rookies with what we already have now.

  28. AQWrazorX

    I’m not opposed to it, we need to start consolidating lesser assets into greater ones, kicking picks down the line is the way to go

  29. Fuppenhammer

    “This is how we do business in Cleveland”. Remember when Brad Pitt entered the lions den in Moneyball? Sam Presti dgaf he will make deals. Btw, game changer. Whole league copied his shtick years later. Nobody’s laughing now.

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