They\u2019re set to pick 26th again on June 23 (6 p.m. MT, ESPN), this time as a contender seemingly in decline. Lead executives Jon Wallace and Ben Tenzer will be dealing with far more pressing dilemmas<\/a> on draft night and in the days that follow, but they\u2019re also tasked with using the low-value pick to locate someone who can help Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets win immediately. Roster needs are aplenty after a first-round playoff debacle in April. Which need will Denver try to address in the draft? Here are 12 names to watch at No. 26.<\/p>\n Note: Denver also possesses a second-round pick at No. 49 overall, but this list is solely focused on the team\u2019s first-round candidates.<\/p>\n Ebuka Okorie: 6-1 Stanford G<\/p>\n The Nuggets have made it abundantly clear that they want to improve their ball-handling depth. One of their most convenient avenues for accomplishing that is the draft. A one-and-done at Stanford, Okorie ranked sixth in the country with 23.2 points per game. He\u2019s an explosive scorer whose first instinct is to get downhill into the paint, which might be appealing enough for Denver to overlook the lack of positional size. The Athletic\u2019s Sam Vecenie<\/a> has mocked him for joining Spencer Jones in the Palo Alto-to-Colorado pipeline.<\/p>\n Dailyn Swain: 6-7 Texas F<\/p>\n ESPN projects<\/a> Swain to Denver at No. 26. After a three-year college career at Xavier and Texas, he\u2019s considered one of the best slashing wings in this class. He could make a serviceable replacement for Peyton Watson if the Nuggets lose the former 30th pick in restricted free agency. Then again, if they retain Watson, it\u2019s also generally agreed in the NBA that you can never have too many athletic two-way wings.<\/p>\n Bennett Stirtz: 6-4 Iowa G<\/p>\n From Division II Northwest Missouri State to a D-I NCAA Tournament appearance at Drake to an Elite Eight run with the Hawkeyes, Stirtz developed into one of the best pick-and-roll operators in the college game. He might be just out of the Nuggets\u2019 reach after his 15 minutes of fame in March, but his experience in a methodical system would fit one of their defining organizational philosophies of the Jokic era \u2014 that when it matters most, halfcourt precision outweighs reliance on transition offense. Early on in the pre-draft process, Stirtz was a popular match for Denver in mocks.<\/p>\n Joshua Jefferson, 6-8 Iowa State F<\/p>\n Draft experts consider Jefferson one of the best passers at his position in the 2026 class. He was a consensus Second Team All-American last season, but his four-year college career ended with an ankle injury during the first round of the NCAA Tournament. CBS Sports has Denver taking him<\/a>.<\/p>\n Christian Anderson: 6-1 Texas Tech G<\/p>\n Like Okorie, Anderson is undersized, which could dissuade a team that sorely needs to bulk up its perimeter defense. But the Atlanta product was a versatile combo guard in college who could play on or off the ball, facilitating out of pick-and-rolls, spotting up or creating his own shot against 1-on-1 defense. He knocked down 41.5% of his 3s last season on eight attempts per game. That\u2019s high efficiency on high volume, but at a cost: He isn\u2019t as effective at attacking downhill as other guards who could end up in the same range. Rim pressure felt like another glaring absence from Denver\u2019s roster in the playoffs. Nonetheless, Kevin O\u2019Connor of Yahoo! forecasts the Nuggets biting<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Michigan](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP26080663936867.jpg\")
Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr. (21) dunks against Saint Louis during the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo\/Yuki Iwamura)
\nMorez Johnson Jr., 6-9 Michigan F<\/p>\n