DaRon Holmes II (right) shakes hands with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver (left) after being drafted 22nd overall by the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 26, 2024 in the Brooklyn neighborhood of New York. . NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that by downloading and/or using this photograph, User consents to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
The Nuggets’ continued search for frontcourt help for Nikola Jokic has inspired general manager Calvin Booth to move up six spots in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft for a prospect he believes can be part of the solution.
Denver traded No. 28 to acquire the 22nd overall pick from Phoenix on Wednesday night, selecting Dayton big man DaRon Holmes II, the team announced. The Nuggets dealt their two 2024 draft picks (Nos. 28 and 56) as well as two future second-round picks to make the move.
They considered these future picks also worth the small sacrifice for a prospect Booth felt strongly about throughout the pre-draft process, and they traded because they expected other teams to pursue Holmes in the 20s, including former executive Tim Connelly and the 27th-ranked Timberwolves, league sources told the Denver Post. Booth alluded to it during a press conference Wednesday, saying “there were a lot of potential landmines between 22 and our pick, especially having a division rival in front of us that probably values this guy Also “.
Holmes, who turns 22 in August, canceled several workouts with other teams and was linked to Denver early in the pre-draft process, with rumors of a promise from Nuggets management. The 2.05 m, 107 kg center averaged 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists in his third and final season of college basketball, winning the All-Star honors. Atlantic 10 and Defensive Player of the Year. He led the country in scoring as a roller man and improved his three-point shooting (38.6%) to become a dangerous pick-and-pop weapon. Booth said Holmes’ wide base and consistency in shooting form are reminiscent of Al Horford.
“There wasn’t necessarily any promise,” Booth said, “but once we got into our 20s and there was a chance to get him, we wanted to go get our man, basically. »
The Nuggets have lacked versatility and rim protection in their frontcourt, and Holmes could instantly provide that trait as a potential plug-and-play backup for Jokic. He averaged 2.1 blocks per game in his three seasons in Dayton, and he generated easy offense as a dunk threat.
But despite being considered a small-ball player, Booth sees Holmes as a long-term starter in the NBA. “I think the league has gotten a little more physical,” he said. “They allow a little more contact during closeouts. And the more we start to see that – we saw it in the Minnesota series, it’s a very physical game – in this style of the NBA, I think he’s a starter all day. »
Since the trade wasn’t made official until after the first round was over, Holmes posed with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver while wearing a Suns hat on stage in Brooklyn, while the Nuggets technically drafted Ryan Dunn of Virginia for Phoenix to close the deal.
“I don’t think all recruits are made the same,” Booth said. “I think there are the 18- or 19-year-old guys who may or may not have more upside. And then there are other guys who are accomplished, who do a lot and who, for all intensive purposes, are perhaps more ready for high-pressure NBA games than some guys on NBA rosters, who have been in the league for two or three years. In that sense, I think DaRon is one of those guys. Has a high IQ. Knows how to play in different styles and different scenarios. I think he has a very good chance of being a plug-and-play guy.
In the first year of a new two-day draft format, there was only one selection to evaluate during the curtains, unlike last year when the Nuggets landed three players in a streak. nine picks on the same night: Julian Strawther, Jalen Pickett and Hunter Tyson. .
They are out of draft picks Thursday (2 p.m. MT, ESPN) in the second round. Booth said Denver will watch the second round on Thursday, but he doesn’t expect the team to return in the rest of this draft.
It was Booth’s third draft pick and seventh selection since Connelly left Denver for Minnesota in 2022. Five of the previous six are still on the roster, including 2022 selections Christian Braun and Peyton Watson. Under both regimes, the Nuggets have committed to building through the draft. Filling the bench with homegrown prospects has become especially critical since Booth took over because of the 2023 collective bargaining agreement, which is more unpleasant for contending teams to navigate.
For a front office just beginning to grapple with these new challenges, Wednesday’s draft was a pivotal moment. The Nuggets left Ball Arena at the end of the night feeling like they had pulled off a steal.
“I think the jump he made in terms of skill and 3-point shooting (last season) took him to a different level of prospect,” Booth said of Holmes. “I just like guys who have to carry the load for their team, and (Dayton) won a lot. He played many different defenses that tried to stop him. … I think his defense will be better at this level.
Meet DaRon Holmes
Round/pickaxe: 1st/No. 22
Age: 21
Size weight: 6 feet 9/236 pounds
College: Dayton
Hometown: Goodyear, Arizona.
Notable: Holmes was an Atlantic 10 All-Defense selection all three years in college. He was named the conference’s co-player of the year and defensive player of the year last season after averaging 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.1 blocks per game. game while shooting 54.4% from the field. He was also a consensus All-American for the Flyers.
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