Julian Strawther is heading to the defending NBA champions.
In a surprise move, the Denver Nuggets selected the former Gonzaga Bulldogs' star with the No. 29 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. The Nuggets traded up with the Indiana Pacers to pick Strawther.
Strawther, who turned 21 in April, was projected as an early-to-mid-second-round pick according to most mock drafts. Tankathon ranked Strawther as the 42nd-best prospect on the board, while ESPN ranked him 48th on their top-100 list. NBADraft.net thought the highest of Strawther heading into draft night, ranking him 24th.
Most mock drafts had the 6-foot-7 wing going anywhere from the back end of the first round to the middle of the second.
Strawther shot 40.8% from beyond the arc last season on over five attempts per game. He thrived coming off screens and spotting up at the top of the break, where he knocked down 39 of his 95 attempts, the fifth-most makes among this year's draft prospects. As a spot-up shooter, he ranked in the 97th percentile according to Synergy.
When he wasn't pulling up from deep, scouts admire Strawther's ability to attack defenses with an effective floater, showcasing his body control and touch near the basket. He was also an effective rebounder as a Zag, averaging 6.2 boards per game. There are some concerns regarding his attentiveness on defense, but at 6-foot-7 and 209 pounds, he has the size and speed to compete against NBA-level wings.
Last season, Strawther earned All-WCC honors after averaging a career-high 15.2 points per game on 46.9% shooting from the field. He led the Zags with 80 made 3-pointers and 203 defensive rebounds. His 50 career rebounds in the NCAA Tournament is the 10th most in school history and he's eighth in 3-pointers attempted (47).
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