The Denver Nuggets, clearly unsatisfied with their 2-1 lead over the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, traded their 2029 first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for three picks over the next two years, including No. 37 in this year’s draft, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
The Nuggets are allowed to make this trade despite still being in-season since it doesn’t involve any active players.
This trade is helpful for both teams. With the restrictions to the salary cap from the new CBA set to kick in on July 1, the Nuggets are anxious to keep the band together, and having more depth players on rookie contracts (like Christian Braun, who’s been a key bench piece in this playoff run) will help them on that front.
Meanwhile, the rebuilding Thunder have more draft picks than available roster spots over the coming years. Consolidating some less valuable picks for Denver’s first, which ostensibly comes after the Nuggets’ championship window, is a savvy play by OKC’s Sam Presti.