NBA Trade Rumors: Nuggets Acquire 2024 1st, More from Thunder for 2029 1st-Round Pick

The Denver Nuggets are in the midst of competing for an NBA title, but that hasn't stopped the front office from planning for the future.

The Nugget are acquiring the "least favorable" of the Oklahoma City Thunder's 2024 first-round picks, a 2024 second-round pick and a 2023 second-round pick (No. 37 overall) in exchange for a protected 2029 first-round pick, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

"The Nuggets are trying to maximize their championship window and this deal gives them some additional chances at low-cost contracts and trade tools," Wojnarowski added. "For OKC, another first-round pick deep into the future."

Here's a full breakdown of the deal:

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To Denver Nuggets:

• 2023 second-round pick (No. 37 overall, via WAS)
• OKC's least favorable 2024 first-round pick
• 2024 second-round pick

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To Oklahoma City Thunder:

• 2029 protected first-round pick

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The Thunder own four first-round picks in the 2024 draft, per ESPN's Tim Bontemps:

• Their own
• From Houston Rockets (protected 1-4)
• From Los Angeles Clippers (unprotected)
• From Utah Jazz (protected 1-10)

The Nuggets are going to have an expensive roster over the next several seasons, with the highlights being star duo Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray.

Jokić is under contract with Denver through the 2027-28 season after signing a five-year, $272 million supermax extension last summer. Murray is under contract through the 2024-25 campaign, though he's undoubtedly due for a significant extension.

The Nuggets hope to turn the players they draft through the added picks in this deal into immediate contributors alongside Jokić and Murray. Denver has a solid history of developing talent, with 2022 first-round pick Christian Braun being the most recent example.

Braun has played a meaningful role for the Nuggets off the bench this postseason and is coming off a 15-point performance in Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat.

The Thunder, meanwhile, are already loaded with young talent and have a plethora of draft picks over the next several seasons. They wouldn't have enough roster space to accommodate all of those picks, so moving some selections in exchange for future assets years down the line makes sense.

While trades during the NBA Finals are rare, the Nuggets know they have the opportunity to contend for years to come. Maximizing their draft capital is a great way for Denver to ensure it can stay competitive down the line.