With the NBA draft just two weeks away, the Nuggets have several directions they could go with the No. 28 pick.
A backup center? Another swingman? Draft experts across national publications have a variety of opinions as to who the Nuggets will land.
NUGGETS JOURNAL: Analyzing mock draft projections for Denver’s 2024 first-round pick
Here’s a look at who national draftniks are thinking will land in Denver.
SB Nation | Ricky O’Donnell | Updated June 10
Johnny Furphy, F, Kansas
“Furphy’s rise to NBA radars has been remarkable. He went from a little known prospect in Australia to a Kansas commit to a potential first round pick all in less than a year’s time. It’s easy to see what scouts like about him: Furphy has good athletic tools as a 6-foot-8 wing, he scored efficiently, and he shot the ball solidly from three (35%). He needs a patient approach from the team trying to develop him because this is all happening so quickly,” O’Donnell writes. See the full mock draft.
CBS Sports | Gary Parrish | Updated June 8
DaRon Holmes, F/C, Dayton
“Holmes is the rare top-55 high school prospect who enrolled at an Atlantic 10 school. He’s a reasonable option at this point in the draft in part because of the way he went from a non-shooter upon enrolling at Dayton to a real stretch-the-floor threat as a third-year player,” Parrish writes. See the full mock draft.
CBS Sports | Kyle Boone | Updated June 12
Dillon Jones, SF, Weber State
“The modus operandi of Denver’s front office over the years — drafting the likes of Jalen Pickett and Nikola Jokic — has been to lean into unconventional prospects. That’s Jones. He was the best player in the Big Sky last season and produced like an All-American in four years at Weber State as a passer, defender and all-around Swiss Army Knife,” Boone writes. See the full mock draft.
USA Today | Jeff Zillgitt and Scooby Axson | Updated June 11
Bobi Klintman, F, Cairns Taipans (Australia)
“Likes to run the court, can score in transition or on drives to the bucket; does not have a textbook jump shot, but gets it to go down. Played one season at Wake Forest before going to Australia to start his pro career,” Zillgitt and Axson write. See the full mock draft.
The Sporting News | Kyle Irving | Updated May 14
Tyler Kolek, G, Marquette
“Once Jamal Murray started to nurse a calf injury in the playoffs, it became clear that Denver could use another ball-handler. Kolek would be a steadying presence with a high basketball IQ who would thrive in that backup role for the defending champions.
“He’s a patient playmaker who would play well off Nikola Jokic as a reliable perimeter shooter and crafty finisher. The 23-year-old senior is one of the few players in this class who could handle the transition to the NBA right away,” Irving writes. See the full mock draft.
More picks:
Second round, 56th pick: Cam Spencer, G, UConn
ESPN | Jeremy Woo | Updated June 11
Baylor Scheierman, G/F, Creighton
“Scheierman’s ability to play off screens and knock down shots, coupled with good size and basketball acumen, make him more multidimensional than your typical shooter, and has turned him into a first-round-caliber prospect worthy of selection in the 20s. He’d be good value for any of the contenders in this range, and in this case that’s Denver,” Woo writes. See the full mock draft.
ESPN | Jonathan Givony | Updated June 11
Jaylon Tyson, G/F, California
“The Nuggets don’t have a plethora of shot-creating options on their roster and might be enticed to take a swing on one at this stage of the draft. Tyson’s positional size, productivity and versatility as a 6-7 guard who can handle the ball, find teammates creatively and shoot from the perimeter stood out in the Pac-12 all season.” See the full mock draft.
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Originally Published: June 13, 2024 at 5:45 a.m.
