The Denver Nuggets sent the No. 26 slot in Tuesday night’s NBA Draft to the San Antonio Spurs and moved back into the second round. In return, Denver received the No. 35 pick and added a 2028 second-rounder from Minnesota and a 2031 second-rounder from Sacramento. The Spurs used the No. 26 selection to choose Connecticut forward Tarris Reed Jr., while the Nuggets will be on the clock at No. 35 and another second-round selection on Wednesday.

The decision to trade out of the first round reflects a belief that the 2026 draft class thins out after the top twenty prospects. A late first-rounder is therefore less valuable than a collection of later picks that can be leveraged in future deals. Denver’s shortage of second-round selections has limited its ability to participate in trade conversations, a problem the front office is intent on correcting by replenishing its asset pool.

Co-general managers Jon Wallace and Ben Tenzer took over the Nuggets’ front office in 2025 with what they described as the NBA’s most depleted war chest. Their mandate is to rebuild the team’s draft capital, a strategy that mirrors the asset-accumulation approaches of clubs like the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs. Adding the 2028 Minnesota and 2031 Sacramento second-rounders gives Denver new levers to negotiate future trades.

Salary considerations also weigh heavily on the move. Contracts for forward Christian Braun and center Zeke Nnaji are widely viewed as negative value, and the franchise faces an awkward luxury-tax situation this offseason. Offloading those salaries, or using the new picks to acquire expiring contracts, would ease tax pressure while preserving the core built around Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr.

The No. 35 pick offers Denver two clear paths. The club can select a developmental prospect who could contribute in a few years, or it can package the slot in a trade for a role player or a contract that aligns with its cap strategy. The choice will be made within a narrow window before the draft concludes on Wednesday. In the coming weeks, the effectiveness of the trade will be judged by how well the Nuggets balance asset accumulation with tax flexibility. If the new picks translate into roster depth or cap relief without sacrificing competitive upside, the move will be seen as a savvy rebuild. If, instead, the assets are used merely to shed salary without improving the roster, the trade may be viewed as a short-term tax-saving maneuver that limits Denver’s championship window.