Nuggets Draft: 5 second-round sleepers to keep an eye on

The NBA Draft is six days away, and as of now, the Nuggets hold the 21st and 30th overall picks in the first round. Here are five likely second-round prospects that I like in case Denver trades into the back-half of the draft or nabs one of these players at No. 30.

Christian Braun | 6-foot-7 (6-6 1/2 wingspan) | Wing | Junior | Kansas | Age: 21 | Projected early 2nd round pick

Last year’s stats: 14.1 pts (49.5 FG%, 38.6 3P%, 73.3 FT%), 6.5 rebs, 2.8 asts, 1 stl in 34.4 mpg

Strengths: On-ball defense, athleticism, basketball IQ

Weaknesses: Slow release, scoring upside, ball handling

NBA Comp: Grayson Allen — Day 1 contributor

I’ve already written about Christian Braun a little, but the latest mock drafts have him dropping to the second round. Also, with Denver picking up pick No. 30, he deserves mention here. I think he’d be a fine pick at that slot.

Braun is a two-way wing who does a little bit of everything. He’s a jack-of-all-trades who can shoot, defend, pass, play-make a bit and contribute to winning. I’d be pretty surprised if Braun wasn’t a good shooter at the NBA level and with his basketball IQ and awareness, it’s not difficult seeing him playing a role on a winner as he did in college. Braun’s an NCAA Champion and logged the most total minutes on a talented and deep Kansas team last season. He scored 12 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to go with three assists and one turnover against North Carolina in the title game last season in a game-high 40 minutes.

Can Braun play a Grayson-Allen role on a playoff team? Can he be a Pat Connaughton-type connector? That doesn’t feel like a crazy notion. He’s a really good rebounder and athlete too. He jumped a max vert of 40 inches at the combine, the third-highest of any player who tested. It feels like he could step in and help a team tomorrow.

Wendell Moore | 6-foot-5 1/2 (7-foot 1/2 wingspan) | Guard/Forward | Duke | Age: 20 | Projected late 1st, early 2nd round pick

Last year’s stats: 13.4 pts (50 FG%, 41.3 3P%, 80.5 FT%), 5.3 rebs, 4.4 asts, 1.4 stls in 33.9 mpg

Strengths: Defensive upside, basketball IQ, shooting upside

Weaknesses: Questionable shot selection, below-the-rim finisher, creation ability

NBA Comp: Josh Hart — Day 1 contributor

Wendell Moore’s another prospect I’ve touched on over the last couple of weeks, but the latest mocks have him slipping to the second round too. Simply put, Moore is everything the Nuggets or a contending team in Denver’s position should be looking for in the late-first or second round.

Moore’s a two-way wing who contributes in every area. He can shoot and hit 41% of his triples last season. He can defend and should be able to guard on the perimeter and switch 1-4 at the NBA level against a lot of matchups. He barely fouls too and was whistled for just 1.6 fouls per game last season. Moore has a 7-foot wingspan and his measurables are really attractive for an NBA two-guard. His defense gets you really excited. Add in the fact that he jumped 38.5 inches at the combine and you feel comfortable slotting him into a contributing role on a good team. I’d feel great about the Nuggets taking him at 30th overall.

Moore went into Duke as a potential 1-and-done, but struggled as a freshman and now is a way more polished junior. It looks like he’s going to be able to play a role early on in his career. For a team like the Nuggets who I doubt want to insert another developmental project into their pipeline, that should be music to their ears.

Max Christie | 6-6, 6-9 wingspan | Wing | Michigan State | Age: 19 | Projected 2nd round pick

Last year’s stats: 9.3 pts (38.2 FG%, 31.7 3P%, 82.4 FT%), 3.5 rebs, 1.5 asts, 0.5 stls in 30.8 mpg

Strengths: 3-point shooting, on-ball defense, offensive floor game

Weaknesses: Finishing, shooting consistency, strength

NBA Comp: Jeremy Lamb — Projectable role player

What if I told you there was a two-guard out of Michigan State who should be a very good shooter, potentially a lock-down perimeter defender and projects as an NBA role player. Would that be something you might be interested in? Because that’s who Max Christie could be at the NBA level. The Gary Harris comp is an obvious one to try and make, and while Christie is a different player than Harris, he might have a more NBA-friendly game. Christie has a fluid pull-up in his arsenal and his 3-pointer looks deadly. His length and 6-9 wingspan is longer than Harris’ (6-7 wingspan) but he needs to get stronger. Christie has a ton of on-ball defensive potential too. He’s long and moves his feet well. It looks like he enjoys defending too. Christie isn’t as polished as Harris was coming out of Michigan State, but he could play a similar role in the NBA.

Christie shot just 31.7% from 3 last year, and the story of his season is a somewhat familiar one for a college freshman. He started off hot and shot 28-77 (36.3%) from distance over the first three months of the college season. Then it looks like he lost his legs and went 11-46 from three in February and March. Getting on an NBA skill developmental plan could be what he needs. He needs to get stronger too and took some questionable shots last year. There are interesting tools here though.

Dereon Seabron | 6-foot-6 (6-9 wingspan) | Guard | North Carolina St. | Age: 22 | Projected 2nd round pick

Last year’s stats: 17.3 pts (49.1 FG%, 25.6 3P%, 71.3 FT%), 8.2 rebs, 3.2 sats, 1.4 stls in 35.8 mpg

Strengths: Driving ability, athleticism, defensive upside

Weaknesses: Shooting, out of control, strength

NBA Comp: Nassir Little — Under-the-radar role player with upside

Alright, Dereon Seabron is my type of prospect. He’s a big guard at 6-6 with a 6-9 wingspan and a drive-first, rim-attacking mentality whose No. 1 goal every possession is to get the basket at all costs. Everyone knows Seabron can’t shoot — he’s a legit awful shooter who clanks wide-open 3s — but it didn’t matter last season. He still got to the rim and finished whenever he wanted. Around 80% of Seabron’s field goal attempts last year were at the rim, and he’s incredibly effective in the lane due to his burst, long strides, and freak vertical pop. Seabron had an insane 49.6 free-throw rate last season and attempted 6.3 free-throw attempts per game, a really good number for college.

Seabron can also rebound too. In a 104-101 quadruple OT win over Nebraska last December, Seabron hauled in 19 rebounds to go with 39 points. He tallied 13 rebounds twice and recorded double-digit rebounds 12 times last year as a 6-foot-6 perimeter-oriented guard. Seabron can fill up a box score too. He had 32-7-7 in a loss to Florida State, 19-12-6 in a loss to Clemson and 21-11-4 in a win over Texas Southern.

His weaknesses are obvious. Seabron’s jumper is a work in progress and he’s a guy who the defense is going to go under on ball screens every single possession 365 days a year. He did shoot 71.3% from the line last year and that gives you a little hope. It’s not a terrible percentage. In that Nebraska game, Seabron went 17-20 from the stripe. But you can envision him making up for that lack of a 3-point shot with his slashing ability, especially as a secondary ball-handler on the weakside. There’s an intriguing uniqueness to Seabron. I think there’s something here.

Gabriele Procida | 6-8 (6-8 wingspan) | Wing | Italy | Age: 20 | Projected 2nd round pick

Last year’s stats: 7 pts (52.2 FG%, 38.3 3P%, 78.4 FT%), 3 rebs, 0.7 asts, 0.8 stls in 18.5 mpg

Strengths: 3-point shooting, athleticism, rebounding

Weaknesses: Ball-handling, defense, strength

NBA Comp: Omri Casspi — Draft-and-stash project

Procida is the top prospect out of Italy this season and packs a ton of intrigue. Now, this is a long-term play and maybe even a draft-and-stash guy, but there’s stuff here to like. Procida is a shoot-first wing who can stroke it from 3 and also put it on the floor. He’s a sneaky top-tier athlete who can finish at the rim and go up to snag contested rebounds. It looks like Procida has an always-running motor too. That’s a must for a prospect like him who’s going to take time to develop.

He needs to add strengths and still gain a lot more experience playing at the highest level. Procida must become a better ball-handler, passer — he had 18 assists to 19 turnovers last season — and most importantly a defender too. But Procida has the frame for an NBA wing and I think he can get there eventually if he adds strength. The shooting is key, and it looks like he could be borderline elite in that category.