The Denver Nuggets have the 26th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, which begins a pivotal offseason for the team. 

It's a deep draft, and the Nuggets have a solid draft history when selecting in the latter stages. 

They selected Julian Strawther, who has become a rotation player, at number 29 in 2023 and Jalen Pickett, who should enter this season as the backup point guard, at number 32.

In 2022, they drafted Christian Braun, a key piece to their 2023 championship, at number 21, and Peyton Watson, a potential starter this upcoming season, at number 30. 

Obviously, everyone remembers when they took Nikola Jokic at number 41 during a Taco Bell commercial. That worked out pretty well for the team. 

With the draft being one of the deepest in years, many teams are either looking to move up into a more favorable spot. The Nuggets could be among them. 

Jake Fischer in the Stein Line Newsletter wrote, "The Celtics are mostly mentioned in Giannis trade scenarios these days, but sources say both Boston (at No. 27) and Denver (No. 26) have been increasingly interested in trying to move up the draft board.”

Denver has their own first-round picks in 2028 and 2030 to potentially attach to a deal in an effort to move up in this year's draft. They don't have a second-round pick until 2032.

They also have some talent to be moved, though teams ahead of them in the draft probably aren't looking to move down while taking on the contracts of Christian Braun or Cameron Johnson. 

This past playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves showed that the Nuggets have a couple of big holes that need to be addressed. 

A healthy Peyton Watson fixes some defensive issues, but they could still use a strong point of attack defender. Cameron Carr, out of Santa Clara, could go around the number 20 spot, and would fit in the current structure for Denver. He can knock down threes, play off the ball as a cutter, run in transition, and make plays on defense with his length and athleticism. Even if he's not the best on-ball defender, there is a lot to like with his physical tools that can translate over time. 

There is also a possibility that Denver wants to move up to take a swing on Jayden Quaintance, a big man out of Kentucky. He missed most of his season due to a knee injury, but Denver will likely need a backup big man behind Jokic as Jonas Valanciunas is expected to depart, and they've shown a willingness to take a risk on high upside players coming off an injury.