Denver Nuggets' Biggest Needs Ahead of 2026 NBA Draft
The temptation to trade the No. 26 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft to get more veteran help while Nikola Jokić is still in his prime is tempting. Although, the Denver Nuggets need young talent on cost-controlled contracts.
More specifically, this team needs players who can defend. An offense that ranked No. 1 in the regular season was ultimately doomed by a defense that finished 21st overall. Peyton Watson, one of the team's best defenders, is a restricted free agent as well.
Backup point guard is also a position of need right now, as Tyus Jones is a free agent and wasn't very impactful in his brief 11 games in Denver, either.
2025-26 Record: 54-28
Draft Picks: 26, 49
Re-Sign Peyton Watson
Whether it's reporters or sources from within the Denver Nuggets, someone has done a heck of a job of selling the idea that re-signing Peyton Watson means the team has to move someone else.
Sure, the roster could be awfully expensive if Watson signs a decent-sized offer sheet that Denver matches, and the rest of the core is kept intact. Nikola Jokić is at the peak of his powers. The Nuggets should be bending over backward to give him the best possible shot at a title, regardless of what it costs.
The playoffs once again exposed Denver's need for length and athleticism. Watson has both. He missed the series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but if he's healthy and continues to develop, he may be the answer to some of this team's biggest questions.
Backup Point Guard
Having a center who averages a triple-double can go a long way toward disguising a lack of backcourt depth, but overly physical defense against Jamal Murray has been a huge problem (especially in the playoffs) since the Nuggets won the title.
Since then, they've cycled through Russell Westbrook, Tyus Jones and Jalen Pickett, but none have proven capable of relieving enough playmaking pressure from Murray and Jokić.
Luck
Watson took a while to break out. Christian Braun had a down year in 2025-26 (potentially due to injuries). Relative to their draft positions, both were hits.
Now, Denver has another pick at the end of the first round (No. 26) and still needs a young, aggressive defender (hopefully one who can protect the rim a bit).
They need someone with a couple of red flags to slide all the way to their spot and be next in a growing line of draft success stories (that includes Watson, Braun, Michael Porter Jr., and Jokić).
