How was the Denver Nuggets team built? Origin and movements that led them to the 2023 Finals

Denver Nuggets it is the opposite case to Miami Heat. While those in Florida were built based on discards and looking beyond the Draftthose of Colorado used their elections and different transfers to set up a balanced, solid team and in a long-term project.

Cases of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray y Michael Porter Jr match the exchanges they gave with Aaron Gordon o Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the Nuggets.

The team led by Michael Malone will fight in the 2023 Finals for a ring that would put the finishing touch to a memorable story. That was how the Denver Nuggets were built.

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Denver Nuggets roster in NBA Finals 2023

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How the Denver Nuggets team was built for the 2023 NBA Finals

Christian Braun

Picked 21st in the First Round of the 2022 Draft, Braun is completing his first professional season after playing for Kansas in the NCAA.

Michael Porter Jr

Porter Jr was selected 14th overall in the 2018 Draft with a pick of their own by the Nuggets. The forward spent the first season injured and did not make his debut until the following year. MPJ renewed in September 2021 with a maximum contract until 2027.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

The outside specialist was traded from the Wizards to Denver in July 2022 along with Ish Smith and in exchange for Will Barton and Monte Morris. Caldwell-Pope extended his contract with the Nuggets a few days later through the 2024-2025 season with a $15.4 million player option.

DeAndre Jordan

After expiring his contract with the 76ers, Jordan joined the Denver Nuggets as a free agent in July 2022 on a one-year contract.

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Reggie Jackson

In February 2023, Jackson was traded from the Clippers to the Hornets in a trade that brought Mason Plumlee to Los Angeles. A few days later, Charlotte released Jackson, who had only this season left on his contract, in order to sign as a free agent with the Denver Nuggets.

Peyton Watson

Chosen in the 30th position of the 2022 Draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Nuggets took him in that same ceremony by transferring JaMychal Green and a First Round of 2027. Watson signed a four-year contract on the rookie scale until 2026.

Bruce Brown

After spending two seasons with the Nets, Brown signed for the Nuggets as a free agent in July 2022. The outsider agreed to a two-year, $13 million contract with the second year being a player option.

Thomas Bryant

At the close of the 2023 market, Bryant arrived in Denver via a four-way trade that involved the likes of Bones Hyland, Davon Reed, Patrick Beverley and Mo Bamba. However, he has not played a minute in the Playoffs.

Ish Smith

The very veteran point guard came to the Nuggets in the same operation that brought Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to Denver. Smith is out of contract at the end of this season.

Nikola Jokic

Taken 41st overall in the Second Round in 2014, Jokic didn’t make it to the NBA until a season later. Little by little, the Serbian was earning a place in the Nuggets until confirming himself as the axis of the project.

He Joker he is the only player chosen so far back in the Draft to be MVP. In 2022 he extended his contract with Denver through 2028 at a salary of $61.9 million.

Zeke Nnaji

The choice he made with Nnaji in the Nuggets came as a result of the transfer that brought Juancho Hernangómez, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt to the Timberwolves, Clint Capela and Robert Covington to the Rockets and more players in a multiple transfer in 2020.

That first round of the Draft was originally from Houston and Denver snapped up the youngster at No. 22 in 2020.

Jamal Murray

Like Nnaji, the pick he found with Murray in Denver came via trade. Specifically, the one that brought Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks and that gave the Nuggets a First Round of the 2016 Draft that materialized in the Canadian player.

Jamal Murray has been a part of the Colorado team ever since, renewing in 2019 for $158 million on a contract that runs through 2025.

Vlatko Cancer

Cancar came to the Nuggets as part of several trades involving their 2017 Draft pick in the Second Round. First in 2014 in a trade between the Grizzlies (owner of the pick), Celtics and Thunder where Courtney Lee, Jerryd Bayless and Ryan Gomes were involved. Later in 2016, OKC moved that pick and the other one that would become Monte Morris in exchange for Frenchman Joffrey Lauvergne.

Finally Cancar was chosen by the Colorado franchise after leaving Burgos and has been renewing with the Nuggets since then. His contract ends in 2025 with a team option.

Jeff Green

After not being renewed by the Brooklyn Nets in 2021, the veteran joined Denver on a two-year contract with a player option for 2022-2023.

Aaron Gordon

In March 2021 Gordon was traded from the Orlando Magic in exchange for RJ Hampton, Gary Harris and a 2025 First Round. Months later, the player renewed for four more seasons and around 83 million.

The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.