The Houston Rockets defeated the Sacramento Kings on the last night of the regular season to clinch the final playoff spot in the West, meaning Houston’s 2016 first round pick will be conveyed to Denver in this summer’s NBA draft.
The pick, which came to Denver in the trade that sent former Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson to Houston was protected for selections 1-14. Since Houston clinched the eighth seed and are technically the 15th worst team in the West, that pick goes to Denver.
As it stands now, the Nuggets have their own first round pick, or the Knicks pick, (whichever is higher after the draft lottery on May 17), the Rockets pick, (15th overall) and the Portland Trail Blazers first round selection (19th overall), which was conveyed to the Nuggets once Portland clinched a playoff spot.