Nuggets come away with 14th overall pick; here's who they might target

One of the NBA’s most snakebitten franchises won’t luck into Luka. The Denver Nuggets own the No. 14 selection at next month’s NBA draft, which was the expected result for the team that entered the draft lottery with a 1.8 percent chance at a top-three pick and a 0.5 percent chance at the first overall pick.

Tuesday marked the 16th time in 33 years since the lottery’s inception in 1985 that the Nuggets failed to move up. They’ve dropped down eight times and retained their position eight times — landing far more threes, fours and fives than they have face cards over the years.

Denver’s most logical target June 21 is a forward who could pick up some of the slack if Wilson Chandler opts out of the one year remaining on his deal or if Will Barton leaves in free agency. The problem is that the best forward prospects in the draft, including Slovenia’s Luka Doncic, Missouri’s Michael Porter Jr., Villanova’s Mikal Bridges and Michigan State’s Miles Bridges, all figure to be off the board by the time Denver picks. The Nuggets could try to trade up to get one of those guys, choose the best player available at 14 or make everybody’s heads explode and go star chasing. (They were reportedly close to acquiring Kevin Love at last summer’s draft in a move that would’ve cost them Gary Harris.)

We laid out what a deal to go get one of the Bridges might look like here. Mikal Bridges would be an excellent fit in Denver. He wouldn’t be asked to create offense for others playing next to Nikola Jokic, Paul Millsap, Jamal Murray and Gary Harris. Defensively, his ability to defend multiple positions is exactly what Denver needs. The Nuggets’ odds of hammering out a deal to get him, however, are slim.

There are still a handful of intriguing prospects the Nuggets could target at 14. It’s difficult to imagine them choosing a player they feel is a project with Malik Beasley and Juancho Hernangomez waiting in the wings. But if they feel one of these players can contribute immediately, you might see them pull the trigger. Here are four candidates.

Zhaire Smith, Guard/Forward, Texas Tech, Freshman: There’s a case to be made that Smith is the most athletic player in the draft. He successfully threw down a 360 dunk in an NCAA Tournament game. He powers home putback dunks far too nasty for a player who’s 6-foot-5. He’s got great bounce and a pterodactyl wingspan.  Defensively, he’s a Swiss Army Knife. His shooting stroke is still a work in progress.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Guard, Kentucky, Freshman: He’s 6-foot-6, got a 6-foot-11 wingspan and weighs 180 pounds, a body type similar to Will Barton’s. He gets to the basket with smooth stop-and-start moves and has a whole bag of tricks to finish once he’s inside. He’s uncommonly smooth for a 19 year old. Like Smith, his outside shot needs work.

Kevin Knox, Forward, Kentucky, Freshman: He’s got a pretty jumper for someone who’s 6-foot-9, but he only shot 34 percent from three-point territory in his lone season in Lexington. He didn’t generate much offense on his own and was an up and down as a defender. He’s also still 18.

Jacob Evans, Forward, Cincinnati, Junior: Denver needs a three-and-D wing. Evans, who’s got two more years of college experience than the three previous players on this list, could plug that hole. He shot 38 percent from deep across three season at Cincinnati. There aren’t questions about which position he’s best suited for either; he’s a natural small forward.