Denver can take an underrated player in this draft.
The Denver Nuggets went 54-28 this season, grabbed the third seed in the Western Conference and won 12 straight heading into the postseason.
Then they lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in six games in the first round, and suddenly none of that momentum mattered.
Injuries wrecked them at the forward spot all year, and now the front office has to figure out what comes next with the 26th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
The Ringer's latest mock draft has them using it on Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr.
What The Ringer Sees in Johnson
The Ringer didn't sugarcoat what Johnson's role would be in Denver.
"The best the Nuggets can hope for if they decide to try to injury-proof themselves (or, God help us, move on from Gordon) this offseason is a serviceable imitation," The Ringer wrote. "And on the defensive end, Johnson, who can capably switch onto anyone from a handling wing to a bruising 5, could give Denver some depth."
Johnson averaged 13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 62.3 percent from the field for the national champion Wolverines this past season.
He started all 40 games, earned All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Defensive Team honors, and then showed up at the NBA Draft Combine and basically took over.
Johnson measured at 6-foot-9, 250 pounds with a 7-foot-4 wingspan and finished first in the pro lane drill, three-quarter court sprint and max vertical jump.
His draft stock has been climbing since.
Denver already has DaRon Holmes and Zeke Nnaji as forward depth, but The Ringer noted that neither one matches Johnson's defensive range.
Western Conference teams kept grinding the Nuggets down physically throughout the playoffs, and a switchable forward who can guard multiple positions fills a gap that was obvious all postseason.
Is Aaron Gordon Going Anywhere?
Then there's Aaron Gordon, who only played 36 regular season games this year and three in the playoffs because of a calf injury.
He still averaged 16.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists on 49.7 percent shooting in those 36 games, so the production was there when he was on the floor.
But missing that much time raises real questions.
Gordon signed a four-year, $133 million extension in 2024 that kicks in next season at roughly $32 million per year.
Reports from The Denver Post suggest he is no longer completely off the table as a trade candidate, though actually pulling the trigger still seems unlikely.
The Nuggets outscored opponents by 13.8 points per 100 possessions with Gordon on the floor this season and that number dropped to 3.1 without him.
Moving a player with that impact, even one who can't stay healthy, is a tough call.
Drafting Johnson at 26 would give Denver a young forward who can defend right away regardless of what happens with Gordon this summer.
That alone feels worth the pick.
