NBA champions Denver Nuggets get 29th and 32nd pick for Thursday’s NBA Draft in New York

The Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers reportedly are exchanging picks ahead of Thursday’s NBA draft.

ESPN claimed that Denver is sending its 2024 first-round pick and the 40th pick on Thursday to Indiana in exchange for the Nos. 29 and 32 selections on Thursday.

The Pacers now have the Nos. 7 and 26 picks in the first round and Nos. 40 and 55 in the second round on Thursday.

The NBA champion Nuggets now have the 29th pick in the first round and Nos. 32 and 37 in the second round Thursday.

It comes amid news Denver will likely lose sixth man Bruce Brown in free agency after he rejected his $6.8m option for a new season. 

The Denver Nuggets, the NBA champions, now have the 29th and 32nd pick in NBA Draft

It comes amid reports Bruce Brown will reportedly decline his $6.8million option with Denver

Brown signed with Denver last summer and became an integral piece off the bench for the Nuggets. 

He can play either guard position or small forward and averaged 12 points and four rebounds in a postseason that culminated with Denver knocking off Miami in five games during the Finals to win its first NBA title.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone said at the Nuggets´ championship parade last week the team wants to keep Brown in their bid to defend their title. 

But the Nuggets cannot offer him more than $7.8 million for next season; if he stays, Brown would be eligible for a four-year deal in Denver starting in 2024-25, with an initial salary of about $14 million.

The 26-year-old Brown was a second-round pick in 2018 by Detroit out of the University of Miami.