Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets are acquiring the Nos. 29 and 32 overall picks in the 2023 NBA draft from the Indiana Pacers, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Indiana's return is headlined by a 2024 first-rounder.

The Nuggets traded away their 2023 first-round pick and weren't due to make a selection until No. 37 prior to Wednesday's move.

On the heels of its championship run, Denver doesn't need to do anything transformative this offseason. Adding a late first-round pick and an early second-rounder will at least allow general manager Calvin Booth to fine-tune the roster.

Booth can turn around and flip those picks in another deal or use them to get young players on cost-controlled contracts.

The latter approach is the likeliest course of action since keeping the core of Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. together will be very costly. Murray will hit free agency in 2025, when Gordon can opt of his contract as well, and both figure to get significant pay raises on their next contracts.

The Nuggets are quickly going to see the cost of their success.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Wednesday that Bruce Brown Jr. declined his 2023-24 player option. There's a good chance Brown cashes in with another team, thus removing a key role player from the mix.

While the Nuggets probably aren't resigned to losing Brown already, they appear to be getting their contingencies in place.

Guard Bruce Brown declined the $6.8 million player option in his contract for the 2023-24 season Wednesday, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, meaning he will become an unrestricted free agent.

After spending two seasons each with the Detroit Pistons and Brooklyn Nets, Brown signed a two-year deal with the Denver Nuggets before the 2022-23 season with a player option for 2023-24.

The versatile 26-year-old veteran played a pivotal role for a Nuggets team that earned the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and went on to win the NBA championship, averaging 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

He also averaged 12.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals in 20 playoff games.

Brown split time between starting and coming off the bench last season, but he still set a career high in scoring average, making him an ideal supporting-cast member alongside Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon.

Since being a second-round draft pick out of Miami in 2018, Brown has exceeded expectations and carved out an important spot for himself with each of the three teams he has played for.

His greatest value has arguably been on the defensive end, as he has averaged at least four rebounds per game in each of the past four seasons and at least one steal per game in three of the past four campaigns.

Brown has also improved as a three-point shooter in recent years, making him the type of three-and-D player who teams covet.

He shot a career-best 40.4 percent from beyond the arc with the Nets in 2021-22, and he followed that by averaging a career-high 1.1 three-pointers made per game last season.

Given the strides Brown made on a top team in 2022-23, his earning potential reached new levels, and it came as little surprise that he opted out.

After Nikola Jokić led the Denver Nuggets to their first NBA championship in franchise history last week, he's earned the respect of some of the league's legendary players.

During this week's episode of the Ticket & The Truth podcast, Basketball Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett had high praise for Jokić not only because of his incredible performance on the court but also for his nonchalant demeanor after winning his first ring.

"First off, man, Joker looks like the most humblest motherf---ker I've ever seen," Garnett said at the 13-minute mark. "I've never seen a player who's won the NBA championship, and he was just dormant. He was more into his daughter... It was the most humblest s--t I've ever seen."

Jokić, who was named NBA Finals MVP after averaging 30.2 points, 14.0 rebounds and 7.2 assists in five games against the Miami Heat, was visibly unmoved by the pomp and circumstance of winning the NBA championship.

Despite his post-game comments, Jokić allowed himself to let loose at the Nuggets' championship parade on Thursday:

Jokić will now get the chance to relax during the offseason. He's already returned to his home country of Serbia, where he was seen in attendance at a horse race on Sunday.

A familiar face is atop FanDuel's early odds for 2023-24 NBA MVP.

Two-time MVP and 2023 NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokić stands atop the throne heading into next season, with likely 2023 No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama holding the distinction for rookies.

Jokić won the MVP award in 2020-21 and 2021-22 and was runner-up for the award behind Philadelphia's Joel Embiid this past season. He averaged 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 9.8 steals in 69 games during the regular season, but was on a different level in the postseason.

Jokić averaged 30 points, 13.5 rebounds and 9.5 assists across 20 games and led the Denver Nuggets to their first NBA Championship in franchise history.

Behind Jokić are two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, four-time All-Star Luka Dončić and Embiid, with Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry the next three names on the board.

It turns out Nikola Jokić doesn't mind championship parades after all.

After riding through the streets of downtown Denver with his Bill Russell Trophy on Thursday, the NBA Finals MVP thanked the fans that turned out to celebrate the team's first championship.

"You know I told you I didn't want to stay and parade. But I f--king want to stay and parade. This is the best time of my f--king life. This is amazing," Jokić told the cheering Denver crowd.

After the Nuggets beat the Miami Heat in five games earlier this week, however, Jokić felt differently about the upcoming celebrations.

When asked in the postgame press conference if he was looking forward to the championship parade, Jokić asked when it was. When he was told the event would take place in two days, he answered: "No. I need to go home."

Jokić even talked about wanting to go home minutes after winning the championship Monday. He contributed 28 points and 16 rebounds to the Nuggets' 94-89 title-clinching victory.

In an interview for NBA TV, Jokic explained he wanted to get home for a horse race Sunday in his hometown of Sombor, Serbia.

"Yes, I need to go home. On Sundays, I have my horse racing," Jokić said.

He added: "I don't know how I'm going to arrive. Thursday, late. Friday, maybe. I'm going to ask [Nuggets president Josh Kroenke] to give me a plane."

Given the Thursday parade date and the 6,000 miles between Denver and Sombor, it's safe to say Jokić's arrival will be cutting it close to his Sunday race. Given how much the Nuggets star enjoyed celebrating with 500,000 fans, it looks like it might have been worth it.

A Denver Police Department officer suffered "a serious lower leg injury" after being struck by a Denver Fire Department ladder truck during the Nuggets' championship parade on Thursday.

TMZ Sports relayed the news from the Denver Police Department, which stated that the officer is in "serious and stable condition." He was transported to Denver Health, per Katie Parkins of Denver7.

DPD also provided more details on the matter.

Benjamin Neufeld of Denver Westword relayed more information and remarks from a press conference at Denver Health led by DPD Chief Ron Thomas and Mayor Michael B. Hancock.

"Officials say an officer sustained a significant lower leg injury that he is currently in surgery for," Neufeld tweeted. "He was trying to hold the crowd back from a fire truck that was rolling through the parade and his leg ended up getting caught under that same moving fire truck."

During the press conference, a Denver Health doctor stated that the officer suffered a "severe limb-threatening injury" and that the orthopedic team would do "everything possible to preserve the leg."

Per TMZ Sports, Nuggets stars Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray were both on the truck at the time. Neither player was harmed, and officials escorted them off the apparatus.

Denver is currently celebrating the Nuggets' first-ever NBA championship after the hometown team defeated the Miami Heat in five games in the Finals.

Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone has made it abundantly clear that he wants his team to run it back next year.

That sentiment was expressed again at the team's championship parade to Chris Dempsey of Altitude TV.

"I got a crazy idea," Malone said. "I'm a little emotional. Let's do this s--t again."

Malone also said the team is "running this s--t back" when speaking onstage to fans while standing next to impending free agent and star sixth man Bruce Brown.

"Is Brucey B going anywhere? Hell no!" Malone yelled.

He also said in another television interview with Altitude (h/t Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports) that the team is "not done yet."

"We're not done yet," Malone said. "We're some greedy bastards, baby. We're some greedy bastards. We're getting another one."

Malone and the Nuggets closed out the Miami Heat on Monday with a 94-89 victory in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Afterward, Malone told reporters that his team is "not satisfied" with just one title (26-second mark).

"We're not satisfied," Malone said.

"We accomplished something this franchise has never done before, but we have a lot of young, talented players in that locker room. And I think we just showed through 16 playoff wins what we're capable of on the biggest stage in the world."

Malone has now set the stage and expectation for the 2023-24 season. Denver is set to return its core four of two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon, so the pieces are in place for Malone's dream to become a reality.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić told ESPN's Malika Andrews in his post-championship interview that he wasn't sure where his Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP trophy was at that moment (1:39 mark).

"I really don't know. I left in [equipment manager Sparky Gonzales'] room and it's not there anymore. So I don't know. But hopefully it can arrive in my house."

Jokić averaged 30.2 points, 14.0 rebounds and 7.2 assists in Denver's five-game series win over the Miami Heat. The two-time NBA MVP led the Nuggets to their first-ever championship.

Jokić celebrated with his family and teammates on stage, where he received the MVP award and the team fielded the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy.

The big man initially left the MVP trophy on stage before later getting it back. He then celebrated in numerous ways, including posing with his family with the trophies and throwing teammate Jamal Murray in a pool.

Jokic is also looking forward to a well-deserved trip home after a long and prosperous season.

He'll have to wait until after Thursday, when the team holds a Championship Celebration in Denver.

Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić offered some sage advice after his team won the 2023 NBA Finals.

The two-time MVP told ESPN's Malika Andrews the teams who overlooked him on draft night "didn't believe in the fat boy."

"Don't bet against the fat boy," he said.

As fans are well aware by now, ESPN was airing a commercial for Taco Bell during the 2014 NBA draft broadcast when the Nuggets officially selected Jokić with the 41st overall pick.

Nobody was expecting the Serbian big man to be the most consequential member of the 2014 draft class. That includes the Nuggets themselves, since they took Doug McDermott in the first round and traded him to the Chicago Bulls in a deal that netted a different European center (Jusuf Nurkic).

It's possible Jokić's rise affects how teams evaluate prospects ahead of the draft. A player who lacks certain physical tools might not be so easily dismissed.

It's just as likely the 28-year-old is a generational talent whose success can't be paralleled.

In 2011, the New York Knicks traded pick-swap rights in the 2016 NBA draft to the Denver Nuggets as part of the trade to acquire Carmelo Anthony.

That pick became Jamal Murray.

Hours after Murray and Nikola Jokić spearheaded the Nuggets' 2023 NBA championship, Anthony took to Twitter to congratulate his former team.

Anthony played seven-plus seasons with the Nuggets before forcing his way to New York midway through the 2010-11 season. The trade request made Anthony reviled in Denver for several years, though time later healed those wounds.

It didn't hurt that the Nuggets remained competitive even without Anthony. The franchise made the playoffs in each of its first two post-Anthony seasons while the Knicks struggled to build a competitive team around Melo.

While the Nuggets would go through a five-year stretch of missing the playoffs from 2014 to 2018, that period gave them the ammunition to select Murray and Jokić in the draft to build the cornerstones of their franchise.

Anthony retired from the NBA earlier this year after 19 seasons.