Denver Nuggets: A look back at NBA Draft history before 2018

The Denver Nuggets have three picks in the 2018 NBA Draft. What does history tell us about the value of these selections?

Despite their 46-36 record, the Denver Nuggets just missed out on the playoffs for the second straight season. Last year, it was a down-to-the-wire battle with the Portland Trail Blazers. That run ended with a buzzer-beating loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the third-to-last game of the year.

This season, the Nuggets’ season came down to a de-facto play-in game for the eighth seed against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Denver lost 112-106 in overtime, solidifying the fifth straight season without playoff basketball in the Mile High City.

Moving forward, there is still room for optimism in Nuggets Nation. The team has a solid young core of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Gary Harris to build around.

However, the Nuggets may have trouble moving other pieces around due to their financial situation. Denver is set to be almost $6.5 million over the salary cap next year, so it’s a good thing that they have three draft picks to aid with their team-building. The Nuggets hold the No. 14, 43, and 58 picks in 2018 NBA Draft.

No. 14 is their own pick, acquired via the draft lottery. Since it was a lottery pick, it could only land in the top three (a 1.8 percent chance), or remain at 14th (98.2 percent chance). Not surprisingly, the odds landed in the latter category.

The Nuggets have never picked 14th overall in the draft. To give an idea of the talent level at this position, Patrick Patterson, Marcus Morris, John Henson, T.J. Warren, Shabazz Muhammad, Bam Adebayo, Denzel Valentine and Cameron Payne are the eight No. 14 picks currently in the league.

Notable past No. 14 picks include Clyde Drexler, Tim Hardaway, Peja Stojakovic, Dan Majerle, Michael Cage, Tree Rollins, Maurice Lucas and Herb Williams.

Denver gave up its original second round pick, No. 47, back in 2013. The Nuggets dealt it to the Utah Jazz on July 10, 2013, in a three-team trade that included the Golden State Warriors. Two separate trades in 2016 shipped the 47th pick to the Chicago Bulls then to its current owner, the Los Angeles Lakers.

This July 2013 trade is also how the Nuggets received the No. 58 pick. The Warriors gave them the pick while Denver sent Andre Iguodala to Oakland.

The 43rd pick originally belonged to the Los Angeles Clippers, but they sent it to the Philadelphia 76ers in February 2014. The pick then moved to the New York Knicks in October 2014.

It remained in New York’s possession until Feb. 8, 2018. That’s when the Nuggets acquired the pick in the three-team deal that sent Emmanuel Mudiay to New York and brought Devin Harris in from the Dallas Mavericks.

The Nuggets have picked 43rd three times, taking Barry Stevens in 1985, Todd Mitchell in 1988 and Josh Grant in 1993. No. 43 picks currently in the league include Trevor Ariza, Mike Scott, Joseph Young and Zhou Qi. Past picks include Michael Redd, Eric Snow, Chucky Brown and Tony Massenburg.

Denver has never picked at 58th in the draft. This position is the latest the franchise will have picked in the two-round era. The previous latest was 57th, when the Nuggets took Nikola Radicevic at that spot in 2015.

Kurt Rambis, Henry Bibby and Abdel Nader are a few notable No. 58 picks. Only 19 selections at 58th, or 33.9 percent of those picks, have ever logged time in the NBA.

Hoops Habit‘s Ty Delbridge examined possible options at picks No. 14 and No. 43. With three picks at their disposal, there are numerous options available that can help the Denver Nuggets turn the corner and become a real playoff contender.

Next: 2018 NBA Mock Draft - Doncic still No. 1 in post-lottery edition

We will see who they take when the draft commences on June 21 in Brooklyn.