Nuggets NBA Draft Mailbag: What Will Denver Do at No. 26?

There are just two days until the 2026 NBA Draft kicks off, and the Denver Nuggets will have two opportunities to add new rookies into the mix. Denver holds picks Nos. 26 and 49, although there has been minimal indication suggesting who they might draft with either selection.

Still, knowing which players are under contract for next season and what the Nuggets need the most heading into the draft, we can answer some questions that the Denver fanbase has asked.

Q: Who will the Nuggets draft?

A very simple question, but arguably the toughest to answer. Knowing that the Nuggets have brought in Zuby Ejiofor in for a pre-draft workout, with no other expected targets at No. 26 confirmed to have visited Denver, we could see the franchise lean toward the St. John's product. With his defensive impact alone, Ejiofor would be a great addition. Still, it will come down to who falls to the Nuggets in the late first round.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; St. John's Red Storm forward Zuby Ejiofor (24) goes in for a dunk against the Duke Blue Devils in the second half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Even if Ejiofor is not the pick, there are several intriguing prospects who should have caught the Nuggets' attention ahead of the draft.

Q: Should the Nuggets trade their pick?

There has been some talk about the Nuggets either trading up from No. 26 or using their first-round pick to entice another team to take on one of their bigger contracts. If they can find a way to trade up, that would be fantastic. However, using their first-round pick as trade bait to free up cap space would be a disappointing move on draft night. The Nuggets do not have a single rostered player under the age of 23; they need to bolster their young core.

Q: What is the biggest positional need?

There are three clear positional needs for the Nuggets to address this offseason: forward depth, a backup point guard, and a defensive-minded big man. While it remains unclear which of these they will focus on in the draft, they should have options for each one. If I were in Denver's draft room, I would focus more on adding forward depth with the 26th pick, with Iowa State product Joshua Jefferson as my ideal target.

Joshua Jefferson possesses a unique blend of playmaking, scoring and shooting for his size.

The 6'8" forward averaged 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.6 steals on 47.1% shooting from the field and 34.5% from three in his senior season at Iowa State. He and Cameron… pic.twitter.com/oAD8vdJQri
— anthony chiu (@acfilmroom) June 20, 2026

Q: Who have the Kings worked out ahead of the draft?

According to HoopsHype's draft workout tracker, the Nuggets have met with just 11 prospects ahead of the draft. Granted, there might be several workouts that were not confirmed or reported, but here is a look at every prospect they have hosted that we know of:

St. John's F/C Zuby Ejiofor
St. John's F Dillon Mitchell
Purdue G Braden Smith
Houston G Emanuel Sharp
Tennessee C Felix Okpara
Georgia Tech G Kowacie Reaves
Denver F Jeremiah Burke
Cal Baptist G Dominique Daniels
Miami G Tre Donaldson
Jacksonville St. F Mostapha El Moutaouakkil
East Carolina G Jordan Riley

Ejiofor is the only projected prospect to go in the first round, while guys like Mitchell, Smith, Sharp, and Okpara could all be targets for the Nuggets at pick No. 49. It is a small group of pre-draft workouts, but they have covered their bases with a few different positional needs.

Q: Could we see a big trade on draft night?

With Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray the only players in Denver who seem untouchable, they could have three starters on the trade block on draft night. Cameron Johnson, Christian Braun, and Aaron Gordon are all likely to be shopped this offseason, and we could certainly see a trade happen on draft night, especially with the 26th pick involved. We should not expect the Nuggets to make a huge trade on draft night, but we can be prepared for one.

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