Nuggets to pick No. 7 in NBA draft lottery

Some things really never change.

The Denver Nuggets have been a part of the NBA draft lottery 14 times. They have never moved up from their previously slotted position. Coming into Tuesday night’s lottery in New York, the organization had a 21.8 percent chance of collecting a top three pick thanks to two slots they owned that formerly belonged to the New York Knicks. Instead, for the second straight year, they will stay exactly where they were slotted prior to the lottery.

The Nuggets will select seventh when the 2016 NBA draft kicks off on June 23. That’s the same pick used last year to select point guard Emmanuel Mudiay.

Mudiay was seen as one of the steals of the draft last season. However, the Nuggets likely won’t have that kind of luck in 2016.

Most NBA draft experts consider this class to be one of the weaker groups to come into the league in recent memory. With a weaker class in the middle of the first round, many expect the Nuggets to seek a trade partner to try and acquire a veteran star.

However, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone told the Denver Post’s Chris Dempsey that the Nuggets feel confident about their options in this draft.

“I trust (general manager) Tim (Connelly) and his staff 100 percent,” Malone told Dempsey. “They’ve shown with their track record that they know the draft. There will be a good player for us at (No. 7). I really believe that.”