LeBron James brought a championship back to The Land, and teams already are starting to make trades. Now, all eyes turn to the 2016 NBA draft. It’s essentially a done deal that Louisiana State’s Ben Simmons and Duke’s Brandon Ingram will be drafted first and second. But with Denver holding the seventh, 15th, 19th, 53rd and 56th picks, Nuggets fans and followers have a lot to keep track of Thursday night. Denver is looking for a shooter, and odds are, with its top pick, it . There are also plenty of local kids to watch for in the draft. It will be an uphill battle for some of these guys, but who doesn’t like a good underdog story? It all starts at 5 p.m. Thursday. Denver Post reporter Malika Andrews provides a quick rundown of what you need to know:
Lucky No. 7?
If they don’t trade it away, the Nuggets have the No. 7 pick. Yes, Denver had the No. 7 pick last year, and it picked point guard Emmanuel Mudiay. You know who else was drafted at No. 7? Back-to-back league Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry and the recently (unofficially) crowned block king, Bismack Biyombo. There have been some gems drafted in that slot in the past 10 years:
- 2015: Mudiay
Mudiay, 20, had committed to play for Southern Methodist University in 2014 but instead, went to play in the Chinese Basketball Association. In one season with the Nuggets, Mudiay averaged 12.8 points and played in 68 games.
- 2014: Julius Randle, Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers selected Randle after he played one season at Kentucky. He signed his rookie contract in July 2014, but he broke his right tibia during L.A.’s season opener against the Houston Rockets in October and missed the remainder of the season. After returning to action in July 2015, Randle went on to play in 81 games in the 2015-16 season and averaged 11.3 points per game.
- 2013: Ben McLemore, Sacramento Kings
The 6-foot-7 shooting guard from the University of Kansas has played in 232 games in his career and has averaged 27.2 points per game.
- 2012: Harrison Barnes, Golden State Warriors
Barnes played a key role in the Warriors’ 2015 NBA championship. But that same small-ball “Death Lineup” that won the title for Golden State last year fell short this year, and Barnes averaged just nine points per game in the postseason. He turned down a $64 million extension with the Warriors this season is now a restricted free agent.
- 2011: Biyombo, Sacramento Kings
Biyombo was drafted in 2011 by the Kings but was traded to Charlotte that same night. He signed a one-year deal with the Raptors in July 2015 and became a household name when Jonas Valanciunas suffered an ankle injury in the second round of the 2015-16 playoffs. Biyombo tallied 187 rebounds and 27 blocks this postseason.
- 2010: Greg Monroe, Detroit Pistons
Monroe was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 2010 and now plays for MilwaukeE. Last season, Monroe averaged 12.3 points per game after signing a $50 million deal.
- 2009: Curry, Golden State Warriors
The back-to-back most valuable player is easily the most notable player drafted at No. 7 in the past 10 years. Curry, who led the Warriors to a 2015 NBA championship, finished the 2015-16 regular season with 402 3-pointers, breaking his single-season record. The Warriors fell short of a title repeat this year, losing to the Cavaliers in seven games.
- 2008: Eric Gordon, Los Angeles Lakers
Gordon played with L.A. until 2011, when he was traded to New Orleans with current Trail Blazers Chris Kaman and Al-farouq Aminu and a 2012 first-round pick in exchange for Chris Paul and two second-round picks. Gordon averaged 15.2 points per game this past season.
- 2007: Corey Brewer, Minnesota Timberwolves
Brewer has played for Minnesota, New York, Dallas, Denver, Minnesota again and Houston. Last season, Brewer, 30, averaged 7.2 points per game and saw playing time in all 82 regular season games and five postseason games.
- 2006: Randy Foye, Boston Celtics
Foye was traded to Portland then to the Timberwolves, where his career started. Foye, 30, also has played for the Wizards, Clippers, Jazz, Nuggets and Thunder. Foye was traded to Oklahoma City from Denver in February.
Local players
I don’t want to know, nor do I care about what the “experts” say. I put my heart and soul into this game. I believe. That’s all that matters
— Joshua Adams (@JoshTAdams14)
Colorado State University’s Joe De Ciman and Antwan Scott worked out with the Nuggets this month, and Colorado native Josh Adams saw time in the Nuggets’ baby blue practice jersey as well. Experts say they likely will go undrafted, but they could surprise people and hear their names called in the second round or get offered a spot on a summer-league roster.
Hit the follow:
Will the get their jump shooter in the ? Latest chatter says odds are looking up.
— Chris Dempsey (@chrisadempsey)
You don’t have to be at the Nuggets’ draft party in the Pepsi Center’s arena bowl or watching the draft on TV with your bowl of buttered popcorn to know who gets drafted and when. And even if you are, you are going to want to give a few people a follow on Twitter to be up-to-minute:
Chris Dempsey @chrisadempsey
Malika Andrews @malika_andrews
Let the fun begin!
