Two- for- one draft
Denver takes Arizona’s Nnaji at No. 22, trades future pick for Hampton at No. 24
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With the No. 22 pick, Denver selected Arizona big man Zeke Nnaji. Two picks later, the Nuggets traded a future lottery- protected first- round pick to New Orleans for combo guard R. J. Hampton, who played last season with the New Zealand Breakers, league sources told The Denver Post.
Nnaji, who interviewed twice with the Nuggets and worked out for them, made a significant impression on Denver’s front office during one of his interviews.
Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly jokingly asked Nnaji, an accomplished pianist, if he wanted to perform during one of their Zoom interviews. The next thing Connelly and his staff knew, Nnaji was on a virtual interview playing the keys for a few minutes, sources said.
It was exactly the type of organic moment the Nuggets look for when assessing a player’s personality.
“I felt like our conversations went really well,” Nnaji said Wednesday night. “We built a pretty good relationship from those interviews and from the workout.”
In one fell swoop, the Nuggets added size, energy and playmaking to a
roster facing several major question marks. In Hampton, the Nuggets added another high- level prospect who slipped well below most projections, like they did with Michael Porter Jr. in 2018 and Bol Bol in 2019.
Nnaji, a 6- foot- 11 freshman, averaged 16.1 points and 8.6 rebounds in his lone season in college. His addition offers a drastic change of pace to Nuggets centerpiece Nikola Jokic. Nnaji, the Pac- 12 freshman of the year, has the mobility and defensive versatility to help insulate Jokic.
A 76% free throw shooter, he’s also shown a confident shooting stroke to help complement his high- energy motor.
“I’ve been working a lot during these quarantine times, and I feel like I’ve made a lot of improvements,” Nnaji said. “I’ve added 20 pounds of muscle, I’ve really improved my jump shot, shooting the 3- pointer well. I feel great, I feel explosive, I feel quick. … Now the button resets. Now it doesn’t matter where you’re drafted, now it matters how much work you put in. I’m a worker. I’m ready to work.”
His rebounding and energy should offer a significant boost off the bench, even if minutes this season might be limited. Fans of his cite his work ethic, which is always a key element for the Nuggets. In addition, he projects as someone who has significant room to grow.
Denver’s decision to take a big man may act as insurance with much of their frontcourt — Jerami Grant, Paul Millsap and Mason Plumlee — facing free agency.
Hampton, a probing, downhill driver, averaged 8.8 points and 2.4 assists overseas. As a creator and a scorer, Hampton should have a more offensive mindset than Gary Harris, who’s offensive struggles are well documented. At his size ( 6- foot- 5, 185) and athleticism, Hampton profiles as a potentially sound defender, though his playmaking abilities are his best attributes.
In preparation for the draft, Hampton honed his outside shooting with former NBA sniper Mike Miller.