The 2023 NBA Draft takes place on Thursday, June 22, as both rounds are wrapped up in one night. As it approaches, TGH will be taking a quick look some teams’ draft strategies, and shedding some light on what direction they will go with their picks.. Here is the Denver Nuggets NBA Draft profile for 2023.
The Nuggets claimed the best record in their division and in the Western Conference, at 53-29. They used their position as the one seed to make it all the way to the NBA Finals, their first Finals appearance in the history of the franchise. During the Finals, they made a trade to grab an extra pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
**The Finals have not yet concluded at time of writing**
The Nuggets have three picks in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Second Round (two picks):
Pick #37: Jaime Jaquez, Jr., F, UCLA
Jaquez is a decently big and long wing player who scored almost 18 points per game last year at UCLA. He used his frame to grab over eight rebounds per game, too, which speaks to the fabled “hustle” intangible.
He’s not the most athletic wing in the draft, and he’s not a great three-point shooter. But they have Michael Porter, Jr. on the roster for the athleticism. Plus, Porter is so streaky as an NBA player that Jaquez could put some fear into him.
Pick #40: Tristan Vukcevic, F, KK Partizan (Serbia)
Not much to say here, other than Vukcevic could give the Nuggets another difficult to guard offensively minded center to pair with Jokic. He has a really clean jumper, both from mid-range and from three-point range.
He didn’t get enough playing time in Serbia, but maybe pairing him with Jokic could bring the best out of him. While his defense is suspect and the tape is limited, this could be a steal for a team who loves their other smooth-moving Serbian big man.
Stay tuned for more breaking NBA content, including offseason moves, contract updates and more news from every team.
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