Denver holds the No. 26 pick — its own first-round selection — and Bleacher Report projects the Nuggets to take Santa Clara’s Allen Graves, a 6-foot-9 freshman forward with elite analytics, shot-making from the perimeter, and defensive playmaking that could allow him to contribute quickly in Denver’s sophisticated system.

The Nuggets hold only the one pick here. Denver’s roster is approaching a critical reshaping moment: Peyton Watson will be a restricted free agent, and ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reported recently that “the belief around the league” is that if Denver re-signs Watson, it will trade either Cameron Johnson or Christian Braun to stay within budget. Graves, on a rookie deal, costs a fraction of what those veterans command and could legitimately grow into a role that complements Nikola Jokic’s orchestration-driven offensive approach.

Graves is one of the more analytically validated prospects in this class despite his unconventional pedigree — a Santa Clara freshman in a non-power-conference program. At 6-foot-9 and 225 pounds with legitimate defensive playmaking instincts (3.0 steals per 36 minutes in college), he’s a plus-level anticipation defender who disrupts passing lanes without gambling recklessly. His shooting in college translated to real efficiency on reasonable volume, and his basketball IQ — the ability to make the correct read rather than the highlight play — is exactly what Denver values in its role players.

Jokic’s system demands players who can operate without the ball, move intelligently in half-court sets, and make the open shot when it arrives. Graves’s profile fits every criterion: he moves off-ball with purpose, shoots efficiently in catch-and-shoot scenarios, and has the length and instincts to defend multiple forward positions. He won’t be asked to create; he’ll be asked to be in the right place and execute. That’s a repeatable skill with a known ceiling.

The player immediately after Graves at No. 26 is Zuby Ejiofor, who goes to Boston at No. 27. Ejiofor is a St. John’s center with elite motor and physical tools, but he’s a center — not the forward Denver needs to replace Watson-caliber contributors. Graves at the forward spot fits Denver’s actual roster construction more precisely.

Outlet	Projected Player
Bleacher Report	Allen Graves
CBS Sports	Dailyn Swain
Tankathon	Isaiah Evans

CBS Sports’ Adam Finkelstein projects Dailyn Swain to Denver at No. 26 in his most recent mock. Gary Parrish also places a wing-type in a comparable range for the Nuggets. Tankathon’s model projects Isaiah Evans to Denver at No. 26, taking a shooting-wing approach. The consensus across major outlets suggests the Nuggets’ pick lands somewhere in this range, though evaluators disagree on whether wing depth or forward versatility is the right fit for how Denver is built.

Denver’s track record of developing analytically oriented role players — Christian Braun, Reggie Jackson in his prime, and multiple international prospects over the years — gives Graves a strong developmental environment. The coaching staff under Mike Malone understands how to deploy players whose value shows up in analytical models rather than traditional counting stats, which perfectly describes what Graves projects to be at the next level.

Taking Graves at No. 26 gives Denver a low-cost, high-fit option who can contribute within one to two seasons in a well-defined role and potentially grow into a starting-quality wing over time. For a team navigating real financial constraints while trying to maintain championship-level competitiveness, that’s exactly the kind of draft efficiency the Nuggets need. This pick, if Graves develops as projected, will look smart for years to come.