NBA Draft

How Firing GM Calvin Booth Could Change the Nuggets' Draft Strategy

Denver fired head coach Mike Malone and general manager Calvin Booth on Tuesday, and could have a different draft strategy with new front office personnel.

Randall Sweet

Feb 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth speaks to the media before a game against the Orlando Magic at Ball Arena.
Feb 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth speaks to the media before a game against the Orlando Magic at Ball Arena. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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Tuesday featured a number of entertaining basketball games, but the biggest storyline of the day came before any of the evening's contests tipped off.

Earlier in the day, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the Denver Nuggets were firing head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth. The move came as a shock to observers and media members around the league, coming just a few games before Denver was set to appear in the playoffs.

While Malone's firing will be felt on the court, likely immediately, it may take a little longer to feel the impact of Booth's firing. As a GM, Booth was responsible for making roster decisions like trades, free agent signings and draft selections.

Booth had been the Nuggets general manager since the summer of 2020, helping the team build a championship roster and bring home the 2023 Larry O'Brien Trophy. With Booth now gone, the team may have a new stratefy in the upcoming NBA Draft.

During Booth's time as Denver's GM, the team selected or acquired Zeke Nnaji, RJ Hampton, Bones Hyland, Peyton Watson, Christian Braun, Julian Strawther, Jalen Pickett, Hunter Tyson and DaRon Holmes II through the draft.

The Nuggets also brought in Spencer Jones and Trey Alexander, who are both still on Denver's roster, as undrafted free agents.

Booth may not have chosen any stars in the aforementioned group, but the Nuggets were typically selecting late in the first round, when most of each class's premier talent was off the board. There is a trend in the former general manager's picks, though.

Six of Booth's nine draft picks were at least 6-foot-6 with 3-point shooting upside. Of course, in the modern NBA, every team values players with size who can knock down shots.

Beyond that, though, Booth seemed happy to take upside swings on players like Strawther and Watson, neither of whom has developed into a rotation player for the Nuggets. With new front office personnel making decisions this year, Denver may elect to move away from a high-upside wing prospect, and instead elect to choose a more proven player at the collegiate level.

There are a number of prospects in this year's cycle who fit that mold, including Florida's Walter Clayton Jr. and Aubrun's Johni Broome.

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Randall Sweet
RANDALL SWEET

Randall Sweet is a 2022 Oklahoma University graduate who has formerly written for the Norman Transcript and OU Daily. Randall also serves as the Communications Coordinator at Visit OKC.

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