Brandon Ingram (Photo : Getty Images/Sean M. Haffey)
The NBA draft rumors continue as the big day draws near. The Denver Nuggets could make a huge splash by moving up.
The LA Lakers were the biggest winners in the lottery even if they only took the second overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. They had the most to lose if two other teams took the big leap.
However, that does not automatically mean they would keep the pick. The prospect of taking either Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram, both projected as potential All-Stars, is tempting to any team and the Denver Nuggets, a team described by Dan Favale of Bleacher Report "as a rebuilding roster without a glaring hole."
The Nuggets have their "point guard of the future" in Emmanuel Mudiay and the improvement of Will Barton and Gary Harris provides them with backcourt scoring. They have a trio of veteran forwards in Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari and Kenneth Faried along with three promising young bigs in Joffrey Lauvergne, Jusuf Nurkic and Nikola Jokic.
Despite this wealth, the Nuggets are not a playoff team. Even if this roster improves with another year together and Chandler returns from injury, they would not be real contenders unless they acquire players with real All-Star potential.
The Nuggets are attached to blockbuster trades like Paul George or Kevin Love but the probability for those trades to actually happen are slim. The Nuggets could improve their roster as early as draft night as David Aldridge of NBA.com pointed out.
"With the No. 7, 15 and 19 picks in the first round, Denver could certainly make a big push to move up with any combination of those picks if there's a top-five talent to be had."
It's unlikely that the Philadelphia 76ers trades the no.1 pick but the Lakers could present a better possibility at no.2. The Nuggets has assets that the Lakers need, as team GM Mitch Kupchak mentioned.
"If you look at our depth chart, you can make an argument that we need a player in the frontcourt," Kupchak said. "We need a big."
The top draw for the Lakers would be Nikola Jokic, as he made the All-Rookie team. However, the Nuggets are unlikely to trade him. The Lakers could settle for Jusuf Nurkic but they would have to ask for the no.7 pick back.
In return, the Nuggets could take Ingram or Simmons which would be an upgrade from what they currently have. They can use their current wings in a trade for stars the bigger stars they are aspiring for.
