The Nuggets’ ongoing pursuit of frontcourt help for Nikola Jokic inspired general manager Calvin Booth to leap six spots in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft for a prospect he’s determined can be part of the solution.
Denver traded up from No. 28 to acquire the 22nd overall pick from Phoenix on Wednesday night, selecting Dayton big man DaRon Holmes II, the team announced. The Nuggets dealt both of their 2024 draft picks (Nos. 28 and 56) plus two future second-rounders to make the move.
They viewed those future picks as well worth the small sacrifice for a prospect Booth has felt strong conviction about throughout the pre-draft process, and they traded up because they expected other teams to pursue Holmes in the 20s, including former executive Tim Connelly and the Timberwolves at No. 27, league sources told The Denver Post. Booth hinted at that in a news conference Wednesday, saying “there were a lot of potential landmines between 22 and our pick, especially having a division rival in front of us that probably values the guy too.”
Holmes, who turns 22 in August, canceled multiple workouts with other teams and was linked to Denver from the beginning of the pre-draft process, with rumors of a promise from the Nuggets’ front office. The 6-foot-9, 236-pound center averaged 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists his third and final season of college basketball, winning Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. He led the country in scoring as a roll man and improved his 3-point shooting (38.6%) to become a dangerous pick-and-pop weapon. Booth said the wide base and consistent release in Holmes’ shooting form is reminiscent of Al Horford.
“There wasn’t necessarily a promise,” Booth said, “but once we got into the 20s and there was a chance to get him, we wanted to go get our guy, essentially.”
The Nuggets have lacked versatility and rim protection in their frontcourt, and Holmes could instantly supply that trait as a potential plug-and-play backup for Jokic. He averaged 2.1 blocks per game across his three seasons at Dayton, and he generated easy offense as a dunk threat.
But despite widely projecting as a small-ball five, Booth sees Holmes as a starting four in the NBA long-term. “I think the league has become a little bit more physical,” he said. “They’re allowing a little bit more contact on close-outs. And the more you start to see that — we witnessed it in the Minnesota series, it’s a very physical game — in that style of NBA, I think he’s a four all day.”
Due to the trade not being made official until after the first round was complete, Holmes posed with NBA commissioner Adam Silver while wearing a Suns hat onstage in Brooklyn, while the Nuggets technically drafted Virginia’s Ryan Dunn for Phoenix to complete the deal.
“I don’t think all rookies are made the same,” Booth said. “I think you have the 18- or 19-year-old guys that may or may not have more upside. And then you have some other guys that are accomplished, that do a lot and for all intensive purposes may be more ready for high-pressure NBA games than some guys on NBA rosters, that have been in the league for two or three years. In that sense, I think DaRon is one of those guys. Has a high IQ. Knows how to play in different styles and different scenarios. I think he has a very good chance of being a plug-and-play guy.”
In the first year of a new two-day draft format, there was only one selection to evaluate at curtains, unlike last year when the Nuggets snagged three players in a stretch of nine picks the same night: Julian Strawther, Jalen Pickett and Hunter Tyson.
They no longer possess a draft pick Thursday (2 p.m. MT, ESPN) in the second round. Booth said Denver will monitor the second round Thursday, but he doesn’t anticipate the team making a move back into the remainder of this draft.
This was Booth’s third draft and seventh pick since Connelly left Denver for Minnesota in 2022. Five of the previous six are still on the roster, including 2022 selections Christian Braun and Peyton Watson. Under both regimes, the Nuggets have committed to building through the draft. Supplementing the bench with homegrown prospects has grown especially critical since Booth took over due to the 2023 collective bargaining agreement, which is nastier to deal with for contending teams.
For a front office that’s just beginning to deal with those new challenges, Wednesday’s draft was a vital moment. The Nuggets exited Ball Arena at the end of the night feeling like they’ve obtained a steal.
“I think the jump he took in skill and 3-point shot (last season) took him to a different level of a prospect,” Booth said of Holmes. “I just like guys who have to carry the load for their team, and (Dayton) won a lot. He played many different defenses that tried to shut him down. … I think his defense will be better at this level.”
Meet DaRon Holmes
Round/pick: 1st/No. 22
Age: 21
Height/weight: 6-foot-9/236 pounds
College: Dayton
Hometown: Goodyear, Ariz.
Notable: Holmes was an Atlantic 10 All-Defense selection all three years in college. He was named the conference’s co-Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year this past season after averaging 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 54.4% from the field. He was also a consensus All-American for the Flyers.
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Originally Published: June 26, 2024 at 8:40 p.m.
