Nuggets select floor-spacing center 58th overall

With their third and final pick of the 2018 NBA Draft, the Nuggets selected UCLA big man Thomas Welsh 58th overall.

Welsh, who played four years of college basketball, averaged 12.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game last season for the Bruins. He shot 48.5 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from three. Welsh was in Denver for a pre-draft workout in the lead up to the draft.

“Thomas Welsh is an elite shooter and elite rebounder and he’s 7-foot-1,” Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said. “Extremely intelligent guy, former McDonalds All American. Bright, tough, we’re really impressed by the workout here and we think he has such a unique skill set where the league is going. ”

The 7-footer finished third on the Bruins’ all-time career rebounds list with 1,035 boards over his four seasons at UCLA. He also made himself into a shooter in college. Welsh didn’t attempt a three throughout his first three seasons in college but went 45-112 from distance last season.