Who Are the Best Draft Picks in Denver Nuggets’ History?

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The NBA Draft is wherever franchises, similar the Denver Nuggets, are built. Few organizations person recovered greater worth successful the aboriginal stages of the draught than Denver.

The squad famously selected three-time MVP Nikola Jokić with the 41st prime successful the 2014 NBA Draft. Now, the prime is regarded arsenic the top second-round prime successful NBA history. With this year’s draught precocious concluding, it’s worthy revisiting the top selections successful Nuggets’ history.

Although the Nuggets drafted Jokić, they person not ever recovered accordant occurrence successful the draft. The apical 4 players successful the team’s draught past are comparatively casual to rank.

That said, the statement begins astatine fig five. Denver has drafted respective borderline All-Star-level talents, including Michael Porter Jr. and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. However, since joining the NBA successful 1976, the Nuggets person drafted and developed conscionable four All-Stars: Jokić, Jamal Murray, Carmelo Anthony, and Dikembe Mutombo.

Keeping this successful mind, here’s who should beryllium considered the 5 champion draught picks successful Nuggets’ history.

5. Michael Porter Jr.

As mentioned, the fig 5 spot is the astir controversial. However, Michael Porter Jr. takes this presumption due to the fact that of his important relation successful the Nuggets’ archetypal and lone NBA title to date.

The Nuggets selected Porter Jr. 14th wide successful the 2018 NBA Draft. He became a staple portion of the halfway for galore years. After sitting retired his entire rookie play owed to injury, Porter went connected to play six seasons with the Nuggets. Before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets during the 2025 offseason, helium provided reliable three-point shooting and rebounding, which greatly helped the Nuggets during their 2023 title run.

During MPJ’s tenure with the Nuggets, helium averaged 16.2 points connected large ratio (50% overall, 41% from three, and 80% connected escaped throws), on with 6.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. In his last twelvemonth successful Denver, helium averaged a then-career-high of implicit 18 points per crippled crossed 77 games played.

Ultimately, MPJ secures the 5th spot, though valid arguments tin beryllium made against this ranking. He is not acold up of his competition, but MPJ’s important contributions during the Nuggets’ rubric tally abstracted him from the rest.

4. Dikembe Mutombo

Dikembe Mutombo was an all-time large who was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame successful 2015. Selected fourth wide by the Denver Nuggets successful the 1991 NBA Draft, it is lone fitting that helium lands 4th successful these rankings.

Mutombo was not capable to execute the aforesaid level of playoff occurrence successful Denver arsenic others connected this list. However, helium led the Nuggets to a historical upset. Mutombo and the Nuggets became the first No. 8 effect successful NBA past to bushed a No. 1 seed, defeating the Seattle SuperSonics successful 1994.

Although his clip successful Denver was comparatively short, immoderate of the champion hoops of Mutombo’s vocation came portion wearing a Nuggets uniform.

Mutombo spent 5 seasons with the Nuggets earlier signing with the Atlanta Hawks successful 1996. Across his clip with Denver, helium averaged 12.9 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks per game. He besides won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award and earned 3 All-Star Game selections.

Mutombo’s dominance defensively and historical interaction successful Denver marque him 1 of the Nuggets’ top draught picks.

3. Jamal Murray

Just up of Mutombo, Jamal Murray comes successful astatine No. 3.

Despite being the 2nd enactment connected a title-winning team, Murray played a cardinal relation for the Nuggets during their title play successful 2023. His playoff occurrence with Denver edges him implicit Mutombo successful the rankings.

Drafted seventh wide successful 2016, Murray has been a staple for the franchise ever since. After earning his archetypal All-NBA and All-Star selections past season, Murray has further cemented himself astatine the 3rd spot.

Murray has spent 10 years successful Denver, 1 of which helium missed wholly owed to an ACL injury. Across his 9 playing seasons with the franchise, helium has averaged 18.9 points (46% FG, 39% 3PT, 87% FT), 5.0 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game. Last play was Murray’s best. He averaged a career-high 25 points per crippled connected borderline 50/40/90 shooting splits.

Beyond being 1 of the champion players the Nuggets person ever drafted, Murray has go 1 of the champion players successful franchise history.

2. Carmelo Anthony

The archetypal No. 15 earlier Nikola Jokić was Carmelo Anthony, who is No. 2 among the champion selections successful Nuggets’ history.

Selected third wide successful the 2003 NBA Draft, Anthony is tied for the highest draught prime successful franchise history. Although Anthony has had a rocky narration with the Nuggets ever since his departure, determination is nary denying his endowment and interaction connected the franchise.

Fifty games into his eighth play successful Denver, helium was traded to the New York Knicks aft requesting a trade. Over those 8 seasons, helium averaged 24.8 points (46% FG, 31% 3PT, 80% FT), 3.1 assists, and 6.3 rebounds per game. He besides earned 4 All-Star nods and 4 All-NBA selections during his clip with the Nuggets.

Even though Anthony ne'er brought the Nuggets to the championship, helium did pb them to the Western Conference Finals successful 2009. At 1 point, this was the furthest the franchise had precocious successful the playoffs since 1985, until Jokić and Murray led Denver backmost to the Western Conference Finals successful 2020.

Despite Anthony leaving connected a atrocious note, helium remains 1 of the champion players to ever play for the Nuggets.

1. Nikola Jokić

No astonishment here. Coming successful astatine the apical spot is Nikola Jokić.

He was picked during the mediate of the 2nd circular successful 2014. However, fewer could person imagined helium would go the top draught prime successful franchise history.

Jokić has enactment unneurotic 1 of the top careers successful league history. He led the Nuggets to their archetypal championship. Jokić has besides earned 3 MVPs, a Finals MVP, 8 All-Star selections, and 8 All-NBA honors. Last season, helium besides became the first subordinate ever to pb the league successful some assists and rebounds.

Jokić has spent 11 seasons with the Nuggets, averaging 22.2 points (56% FG, 36% 3PT, 83% FT), 7.5 assists, and 11.1 rebounds per crippled crossed his lengthy vocation successful Denver. Over the past 2 seasons, Jokić has averaged a triple-double. This is an achievement accomplished by lone 1 different subordinate successful NBA history: Russell Westbrook.

Overall, Jokić stands unsocial arsenic the top draught prime successful Nuggets past and 1 of the astir impactful selections successful the NBA ever.

The station Who Are the Best Draft Picks successful Denver Nuggets’ History? appeared archetypal connected The Lead.

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