Denver Nuggets, OKC Pull Off Trade

The Denver Nuggets are kind of busy right now, battling the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. But that doesn't mean that the front office isn't getting busy making more plans for the future. The Nuggets have pulled off a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder in advance of the NBA Draft later this month.

NBA Finals trade: The Denver Nuggets are acquiring the least favorable of Oklahoma City's first-round picks in 2024, the 37th pick in the 2023 draft and 2024 second-round pick for a protected 2029 first-round, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 9, 2023

The Nuggets acquire:

• OKC 37th pick (second round) in 2023
• OKC first-round pick in 2024
• OKC second-round pick in 2024 

The Thunder receive:

• Protected 2029 first-rounder

Denver will now have the 37th and 40th pick in this draft, and according to Woj, this deal allows the Nuggets to maximize their championship window by giving them some additional chances at low-cost contracts and trade tools as they try to navigate the luxury tax. For OKC, they get another first-round pick deep into the future.

Denver also still owes Oklahoma City a 2027 Top-5 protected first-round pick.

The Thunder could still potentially have four first-round picks in the 2024 draft — their own, the LA Clippers', a top-four protected Houston Rockets pick and a top-10 protected Utah Jazz pick.

For 2023, OKC now owns the No. 12 and No. 50 picks.

Photo: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports