2017 NBA Draft Lottery: 5 scenarios that could impact the Pacers
Never Gonna Happen Scenario #4: Denver wins the lottery
The Denver Nuggets have a 0.6 percent chance of winning the NBA Draft Lottery, so we’ve officially entered “never gonna happen” territory. Having said that, a draft with Denver at the top would be fascinating, so let’s take a look around while we’re here.
The Nuggets had a feel-good season for the most part, until their playoff chances were destroyed by Jusuf Nurkic, the guy they traded to Portland just weeks earlier. Their budding star center Nikola Jokic supercharged their offense after he was slotted into the starting lineup, and now GM Tim Connelly is tasked with finding another star to team up with the European big man.
Enter Kevin Pritchard.
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The Nuggets don’t really need another young guy. Jokic, Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Malik Beasley and Juan Hernangomez are all swelling with upside, and Mike Malone is already struggling to find minutes for everyone. What they need is star power and defense. Paul George just so happens to have both of those things, and Denver has been rumored to be looking to acquire a star (or rather, a Dwyane Wade).
Of course, we have to mention the obligatory, “Why would they give up assets if they don’t know that George will re-sign?” question, but I’ll counter by saying that this whole thing will already never happen, so there. A universe in which the Nuggets win the lottery, then send some package like the number one pick and Beasley to the Pacers for Paul George would be absolutely wild. Wild is always entertaining, even if it comes back to bite you.