Denver Stiffs - Denver Stiffs 2019 NBA Draft StoryStream

Watch: Tim Connelly addresses the media following the 2019 NBA Draft

2019-06-20T23:12:24-06:00

Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Denver’s President of Basketball Operations took the the podium after the Nuggets traded for the rights to Bol Bol

Watch: Tim Connelly addresses the media following the conclusion of the 2019 NBA draft

Listen: Bol Bol speaks with the Denver Nuggets media for the first time

2019-06-20T23:06:36-06:00

Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

On falling in the draft, watching Jokic, and his health status

Bol Bol spoke with the Denver Nuggets media shortly after being selected by the Denver Nuggets with the 44th pick in the 2019 NBA draft. Bol was noticeably disappointed that he dropped into the 2nd round but shed some light on his current status, his familiarity with the Denver Nuggets (and Nikola Jokic),

Locked on Nuggets: Live reaction to the Denver Nuggets selecting Bol Bol.

2019-06-20T22:39:15-06:00

Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

Hear our surprise

This episode of the Locked on Nuggets podcast was recorded live at Pepsi Center during the 2nd round of the 2019 NBA draft which means we were recording as the Denver Nuggets traded into the 2nd round to acquire Bol Bol. Brendan Vogt and Ryan Blackburn hopped on to share their thoughts on the following topics:

Segment 1: Reactions to Denver sitting out the first round.

Segment 2: Overall thoughts about the draft including winners, losers, and more.

Segment 3: Live reaction to the Bol Bol pick and our analysis.

Denver Nuggets acquire rights to Bol Bol via trade with Miami Heat

2019-06-20T22:35:09-06:00

Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Nuggets entered the night without a draft pick, but they walked away with a low-floor, high-ceiling prospect in Bol Bol

The Denver Nuggets entered the 2019 NBA Draft without a pick in either round, but as the Miami Heat selected Bol Bol—the 7’2” center out of Oregon—with the 44th pick, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that he would be shipped to Denver.

Denver has acquired Bol Bol in a trade, league source says. https://t.co/BPtsQCDrVj
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 21, 2019

Shortly after Woj’s tweet, Justin Woo of Sports Illustrated reported that Denver will send a future second-rounder and cash to Miami in exchange for the rights to Bol.

Bol Bol is headed to Denver for a future second round pick and cash, per a league source.
— Jeremy Woo (@JeremyWoo) June 21, 2019

Bol was viewed as a pre-season top-five pick, but a foot injury limited him to just 9 games at Oregon, which appears to have scared teams away from the skilled big man.

In those 9 games, Bol Bol played just under 30 minutes a night, recording 21 points, 9.6 total rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per contest. He shot 56% from the field, and 52% from three on 2.8 attempts per game.

Denver’s President of Basketball Operations, Tim Connelly, has been vocal in the past about his desire to draft “long-term projects” in the second round. Bol Bol holds his weaknesses but the upside is there in abundance, and the Nuggets won’t feel any early pressure to get him on the court. He also joins Michael Porter Jr. and Jarred Vanderbilt as talented players with major injury concerns who slid from their preseason projections, but ultimately found their home here in Denver.

Live: 2019 NBA Draft results

2019-06-20T17:44:36-06:00

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Live coverage of all 60 draft picks from the 2019 NBA Draft

It’s time for the 2019 NBA Draft. The Denver Nuggets don’t possess any draft selections currently, but that could change throughout the night. The New Orleans Pelicans have made a number of moves and just selected Zion Williamson first overall. More picks will come, and tonight will be full of surprises.

Denver Stiffs will run a live draft tracker throughout the night.

1. New Orleans Pelicans - Zion Williamson, PF

Lots of intrigue went into this selection. Sucks that he will be in the Western Conference.

2. Memphis Grizzlies - Ja Morant, PG

No surprise here. Grizzles get their Mike Conley replacement after sending Conley to Utah.

3. New York Knicks - R.J. Barrett, SG/SF

The Knicks get their guy at third overall. Let’s see if he actually pans out.

4. Atlanta Hawks - De’Andre Hunter, SF/PF

The Hawks really wanted Hunter. They acquired this pick using the 8th, 17th, and 35th picks while absorbing Solomon Hill’s contract.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers - Darius Garland, PG

The Cavs take their next version of Kyrie Irving after selling Collin Sexton as the next version of Kyrie Irving.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves - Jarrett Culver, SG/SF

After a surprise trade-up that featured Dario Saric moving to Phoenix, the Timberwolves select the best player available in Jarrett Culver.

7. Chicago Bulls - Coby White, PG

This is a great fit for the Bulls, but they need to get some veteran talent fast.

8. New Orleans Pelicans - Jaxson Hayes, C

The Pelicans are getting all of the athleticism and vertical leap after selecting Zion first overall and Jaxson Hayes here.

9. Washington Wizards - Rui Hachimura, PF

The Wizards don’t currently have a general manager in place, and they probably should have found one of those.

10. Atlanta Hawks - Cam Reddish, SF

The Hawks moved up to get De’Andre Hunter fourth overall and now they get another forward in Cam Reddish. A sizable fall for “the other Duke Blue Devil.”

11. Phoenix Suns - Cameron Johnson, SF

Why?

12. Charlotte Hornets - PJ Washington, PF

Michael Jordan sticks to what he knows: North Carolina, Kentucky, Michigan State, and Wisconsin.

13. Miami Heat - Tyler Herro, SG

I can be your Herro baby!

14. Boston Celtics - Romeo Langford, SG

Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou All-Stars, Boston?

15. Detroit Pistons - Sekou Doumbouya, PF

The Pistons draft BPA after Sekou falls to them after questionable decision making ahead of them.

16. Orlando Magic - Chuma Okeke, SF/PF

One of my favorite prospects, the Magic double down on athletic defenders that will look to figure out offense at a later time.

17. New Orleans Pelicans - Nickeil Alexander-Walker, SG

The Pelicans have a lot of talent now. Zion, Jaxson Hayes, Jrue, Lonzo, Ingram, Hart, and now Alexander-Walker. Holy cow.

18. Indiana Pacers - Goga Bitadze, C

A third center behind Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis? Let’s see what happens with Indiana. They could be in line for another trade.

19. San Antonio Spurs - Luka Samanic, PF

Apparently, Samanic is good, and he will probably be better because the Spurs draft him.

20. Philadelphia 76ers - Matisse Tybulle, SG/SF

The Sixers acquired this pick from the Celtics to make sure they got Thybulle. Good pick for them. Role player and defender.

21. Memphis Grizzlies - Brandon Clarke, PF

This was my guy. Oklahoma City moved back to 23rd to pick up another asset. Too bad.

22. Boston Celtics - Grant Williams, SF/PF

And there’s the other guy. Nuggets fans can stop paying attention now.

23. Oklahoma City Thunder - Darius Bazley, SF/PF

Bazley makes sense for the Thunder because he’s an athlete who doesn’t shoot the ball well right now.

24. Phoenix Suns - Ty Jerome, PG/SG

Boston traded this pick to the Suns, who are desperately trying to make up for selecting 23-year-old Cam Johnson at 11 by drafting Ty Jerome, a veteran college guy.

25. Portland Trail Blazers - Nassir Little, SF

The Blazers get Nassir Little, who fell hard this year after ranking as one of the top high school recruits in the nation. Good pick.

26. Cleveland Cavaliers - Keldon Johnson, SF/PF

A solid pick. Nothing to write home about. Standard Kentucky role player.

CORRECTION: The Cavs are selecting SF Dylan Windler. Not great!

27. Los Angeles Clippers - Mfiondo Kabengele, PF/C

The 27th pick would have been Denver’s selection had they held onto Kenneth Faried and Darrell Arthur rather than performing a salary dump. It feels like the Nuggets were okay to do that here since Brooklyn also just traded the pick.

28. Golden State Warriors - Jordan Poole, SG

The Warriors need floor spacing really badly on the wing after the injuries to Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant. They hope to have found a short and long term solution in Jordan Poole.

29. San Antonio Spurs - Keldon Johnson, SF/PF

Hey look, Keldon Johnson ACTUALLY got picked now! Good landing spot for him.

30. Cleveland Cavaliers - Kevin Porter Jr., SG/SF

The Cavs going to going all out to get a bunch of scoring guards, which is certainly a choice. They sent out four second round picks to get Porter here.

Alright, that’s it for the the first round and the live updates. Denver Stiffs will provide more pertinent updates and rumors as they become available going forward.

Wojnarowski: Phoenix Suns trade TJ Warren to Indiana Pacers

2019-06-20T15:49:06-06:00

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Warren might’ve been an interesting fit in Denver, but he’s off the table after being dealt to Indiana

Shortly after making forward TJ Warren available in trade discussions, the Phoenix Suns have agreed to send Warren and the 32nd pick in the 2019 NBA draft to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for cash, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Suns will send the No. 32 pick to Pacers too, source tells ESPN. Pacers are taking Warren into salary cap space. https://t.co/NN0gxs4e8L
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 20, 2019

Warren might’ve made for an interesting fit in Denver should the Nuggets have looked to add the five-year veteran. With Indiana’s interest being reported by Wojnarowski earlier in the day, the Stiffs outlined his potential usefulness here in Denver, and how Indiana’s interest in Will Barton last summer could have facilitated a three-team deal. But Warren will head to Indiana without Denver’s help.

For now, it appears as though the Nuggets will enter the draft without any changes to their roster or picks of their own.

Rumor: T.J. Warren made available by Phoenix in trade talks, Dallas and Indiana interested

2019-06-20T11:54:47-06:00

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Could the Nuggets get involved?

According to Ian Begley on SNY and Alex Kennedy of Hoops Hype, the Phoenix Suns have made scoring forward T.J. Warren available in trade discussions and are receiving ample interest.

I've heard the Indiana Pacers mentioned as another potential landing spot for TJ Warren. https://t.co/S9pRs2rR59
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) June 20, 2019

Warren, 25, averaged 18.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game during 43 games with the Suns this year. Warren drastically improved his three point shot last year, shooting 42.8% from three in his fifth season after shooting 28.3% for the first four years of his career. The scoring forward is under contract for three more seasons at a salary between $10.8 and $12.7 million per season.

At 6’8 and with scoring versatility, Warren is the type of player that should interest the Nuggets at the right price. His contract fits into traded player exceptions Denver created last offseason from the Kenneth Faried and Wilson Chandler trades, and he has the size and skill set to provide an interesting complementary option for Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Gary Harris.

In addition, the Pacers have shown interest in Will Barton in past seasons, reportedly offering Barton a four year, $57 million deal to play for Indiana last offseason. Barton re-signed with the Nuggets for slightly less money, and the Pacers pivoted to Tyreke Evans for a season. Evans has been banned from the NBA for two seasons after a drug related incident though, so the the Pacers may still be willing to add Barton to the roster. A three-way trade centered around Warren to the Nuggets, Barton to the Pacers, and the Pacers owned 18th overall pick to the Suns would make sense for all parties.

Roundtable: Just how many picks will get traded today?

2019-06-20T11:08:31-06:00

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski has hinted that Thursday night could be busy, how many picks will move?

How many first round picks will be involved in trades today?

I think that record is challenged today.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 20, 2019

Adam Mares: I am going to trust Woj on this one and say that today will be a crazy day with lots of trades, some of which will have major implications on the near future of the league. With the Western Conference being wide open and several teams feeling like they are one piece away, I think we see some surprise trades. The Thunder are already rumored to be shopping Steven Adams, Bradley Beal’s name could come back up in trade rumors. So I’m going with a record-breaking 14 picks to get traded today. Buckle up!

Brendan Vogt: Woj doesn’t strike me as the light the fire, reckless speculation sort, and I’m pretty sure he’s more dialed into the possibilities here than any human being on earth. If he is gearing up for a new record, then so am I.

14 picks will move.

Jeremy Poley: Fear is the greatest enemy of rationality and in a weak draft where teams are holding either high draft picks or a bunch of draft picks, I think we’re going to see more trades than usual. Consider this year’s draft as the preseason of free agency. 14 trades!

Ryan Blackburn: The winds are billowing around this idea that the draft is wide open, and why not? The NBA is wide open right now with the Warriors’ impending injuries and free agency looming, and teams will look to take advantage by either identifying a cheap player in the draft or clearing cap space using draft picks. Atlanta has already sold two picks (a trade partner I had hoped Denver would engage) and they won’t be the last team to maneuver the draft today.

If the Nuggets trade into the middle of the first round of the draft, who do you want them to take?

Mares: Ryan has sold me on Brandon Clarke. I still love Jarred Vanderbilt so I’m a bit weary of picking another young PF but Clarke sounds like he is exactly the type of prospect you take a flyer on in this spot. Late bloomer, lots of hustle, smart instincts.

Poley: I’m going to assume that Brandon Clarke isn’t there. Chuma Okeke is the Jarred Vanderbilt of the SF position. A twitch-defensive monster with high play-making ability and a 7-foot wingspan (6’8” tall). Maybe even a comp to a young Wilson Chandler, but dare I say a little bit better in every way? (draft profiling is about not knowing anything, and saying everything.) A forward rotation of Jarred Vanderbilt, Michael Porter Jr, and Chuma Okeke could be the foundation around Jokic that elevates the Nuggets to a dynastic championship throne.

Blackburn: Brandon Clarke has been the guy for me for awhile. He seems to be an analytics dream, and that’s where I butter my bread. If not him, then Chuma Okeke or Grant Williams make the most sense as smart defenders with translatable skills that could impact the Nuggets as role players in the future. All three defend multiple positions and stand around 6’8, which should already sound appealing for Nuggets fans.

Vogt: Has anyone said Brandon Clarke yet?

This year, are you more excited for the draft, free agency, or summer league?

Mares: Free agency will be crazy this year. Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving. Lots of big boys on the market and where they end up will affect the Nuggets. But I’ve got to go with summer league. I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited for the actual basketball at summer league like I am for the Nuggets roster this year. Vanderbilt and Michael Porter Jr. are the headliners but I’m even curious to see Vlatko Cancar, Thomas Welsh, and Brandon Goodwin.

Vogt: If you’re a casual hoops fan then you’re licking your chops for this free agency period. But if you’re a Nuggets fan, the right answer here is summer league. We’ve waited so long to watch Michael Porter Jr. play basketball. There are rumors that we’ll see Jarred Vanderbilt running the point. Our hearts yearn for Vlatko Cancar. Tom Welsh will be there. Vegas, baby.

Poley: Summer league! And Nuggets fans are probably the only ones who would pick this over the other two options. If Michael Porter Jr. was in this year’s draft he would be unquestionably the #2 pick and there’s even a possibility he would challenge Zion for #1. So in my eyes, we traded last year’s 14th pick for this year’s 2nd pick. And summer league gives us the first opportunity to see the fruits of our market trading. Craziest thing? I’m even more excited to see Vanderbilt!

Blackburn: It has to be free agency. Shout out to the excellent talent the Nuggets will have playing in Las Vegas in July, but Denver has an opportunity to be a legitimate contender in 2019-20 if they so choose. Standing pat likely doesn’t get it done, but the right move or two in free agency could set the Nuggets up as frontrunners in a wide open West. Many teams have to feel that way too, and we will be seeing a lot of action at the top, trades, and potentially new homes for as many as five top 20 players when free agency hits...on top of watching Anthony Davis pine his way to Los Angeles.