Nuggets introduce Brazile, Hopkins: ‘Athleticism, physicality, toughness, defense’

DENVER — The Denver Nuggets’ NBA Draft plan wasn’t complicated, and co-GM Ben Tenzer didn’t dress it up.

“What we wanted to prioritize was athleticism, physicality, toughness, defense,” Tenzer said Monday as the team introduced its two draft picks, forwards Trevon Brazile and Bryce Hopkins. “When we watched the playoffs, we felt like we were maybe missing that a little bit. So that was the plan, as simple as that.”

The Nuggets drafted Brazile, a 6-foot-10 forward out of Arkansas, at No. 35 and Hopkins, a 6-foot-6 forward from St. John’s, at No. 49. Both arrive as older prospects with long college resumes — and both, the front office stressed, were on Denver’s radar far longer than draft night.

“I actually looked at our scouting database earlier, just to see when we had the first reports on these guys,” Tenzer said. “They were all from their freshman year. We’ve seen them every year since.”

Co-GM Jonathan Wallace framed the pair as value that slid because of their age.

“Both these guys are unique because they’re both first-round talents,” Wallace said. “In the game we’re in today, age is kind of held against you… but we identified these guys early. They both bring something unique — energy, effort, good physical intangibles.”

Wallace added that the league’s pace pushed Denver toward this kind of athlete: “How athletic and how much quicker the game has gotten over the past couple years… they’ll be able to fill the gap for us.”

That athletic gap was apparent in the Nuggets’ playoff loss to the Wolves, where the banged-up Minnesota team brought waves of youth off the bench to doom Denver. And as the Nuggets core of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and the rest of the group has aged, they’ve lost some of that quick, high-flying ability they once had. Plus, athleticism has always thrived next to Jokic, making its absence even more apparent.

But the athleticism of these players will only be seen next year if they can do it on defense and that’s what each player’s emphasis is on for now.

Brazile pointed to Jaden McDaniels and Jonathan Isaac. “Taking defensive tidbits from them,” he said. Hopkins named Draymond Green — a “space deployer” who chases rebounds and sets the tone defensively.

Asked to name the one skill they’re NBA-ready to provide, both landed in the same place.

“One: defending,” Brazile said. He described himself as a versatile piece who can “switch one through five” and “guard on the perimeter.”

Hopkins echoed it: “Defending as well — just using my physicality… being able to switch onto smaller, bigger guys. Being able to move my feet and keep them in front.”

Both Brazile and Hopkins are focused on defense pic.twitter.com/Fx2SuD6Uhb

— Jake Shapiro (@Shapalicious) June 29, 2026

Both players dealt with serious knee injuries — Brazile tore his ACL, and Hopkins lost most of two seasons to a torn ACL of his own — and both leaned on that adversity Monday.

“The injuries are definitely tough, especially a major one like the ACL,” Brazile said. “You definitely gotta have a strong mindset… I learned a lot about my mindset going through that.”

Hopkins called the rehab a lesson in perseverance and in supporting teammates from the sideline.

The two also played for high-profile college coaches — Brazile for John Calipari at Arkansas, Hopkins for Rick Pitino at St. John’s.

“The mindset and the work habits you’ve got to have to be successful,” Brazile said of his Arkansas takeaway. “Coach Cal and his staff were definitely great for me.”

For Hopkins, the lesson under Pitino was an everyday standard. He recalled getting chewed out over a missed box-out in practice where the coach told him he wasn’t good enough to make choices like that — a type of accountability he said pushed him “to be the best that I could possibly be.”

The Nuggets turned the No. 26 pick into Brazile and two future second-round picks, trading down out of the first round on draft night, then they took Hopkins with No. 49. The bet, as Tenzer put it, was simple: get tougher, more athletic and better on defense.

Related

Another Nuggets player could leave, but it’s not a done deal yetNuggets lose backup forward David Roddy as he heads overseasLeBron James will not join the Nuggets, headed to PhiladelphiaPeyton Watson’s contract expectations are completely out of whackFormer Nuggets guard arrested in Castle Rock for alleged shopliftingShould Nikola Jokic face backlash for taking the supermax?