The Nuggets have once again proven that they find the draft to be a completely unnecessary part of building a team. They have traded the 20th pick to Charlotte for a protected future first round pick. In 2009 it is lottery protected. In 2010 it is protected 1-12, 2011 it is protected 1-10, then 1-8 in 2012 and finally 1-3 in 2013.
Charlotte is a terrible organization and the chances the Nuggets get a decent lottery pick out of the deal is pretty solid. Of course, that would be in 2011 or 2012.
Needless to say, a top ten pick in 2012 will not make the 2008 draft any more exciting to watch. And to make things worse, although I saw this coming, I wasted a bunch of time on my draft preview today as well as a follow up article with a more narrow look at players that had been linked to the Nuggets. Thanks a lot.
Do not discount the financial impact of this deal. The 20th pick would have received around $1 million next season and that is money they do not have to spend. However, now that they are not acquiring a player (point guard) in the draft they are going to have to resign Anthony Carter, or some free agent, to play the point and I doubt they will sign that player for less than what that draft pick would have made.
The Suns have made a similar mistake in the past selling off draft picks that would have provided cheaper alternatives to expensive veterans they had to sign because they had no young players coming down the pike.
There is a silver lining in all of this. There is no way the Nuggets will end up with DeAndre Jordan.
