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2016 NBA Draft Preview

Tonight at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, dreams will come true and the newest class of NBA players will be introduced to the world.

In preparation for the 2016 NBA Draft, the Denver Nuggets have held 14 pre-draft workouts with prospective players at Pepsi Center. These have included both group as well as solo workouts.

This year, the Nuggets have five selections with three (7, 15, 19) in the first round and two in the second (53, 56). The Nuggets have never held a first or second overall pick but have held the third overall three times. In 2015, the Nuggets had two picks and selected Emmanuel Mudiay with the seventh and Nikola Radicevic with the 57th.

Some of the players widely regarded by analysts as top prospects in the 2016 NBA Draft include LSU’s Ben Simmons, Duke’s Brandon Ingram, and Washington’s Marquese Chriss, players that have become archetypes of the quickness, length, and athleticism of today’s NBA. Other potential top picks include Buddy Hield, a sharpshooter from Oklahoma and Kris Dunn, a polished floor general from Providence.

The Nuggets worked out a diverse group of players spanning from playmaking guards, versatile forwards to athletic big men.

Guards who participated included Anthony Barber (North Carolina State), Isaiah Cousins (Oklahoma), Ron Baker (Wichita State), Dillon Brooks (Oregon), Tyler Dorsey (Oregon), Marcus Georges-Hunt (Georgia Tech), Wade Baldwin IV (Vanderbilt), Tyrone Wallace (California), Demetrius Jackson (Notre Dame), Tyler Ulis (Kentucky), Kay Felder (Oakland), Malachi Richardson (Syracuse), Josh Adams (Wyoming), DeAndre Bembry (St. Joseph's), Malcolm Brogdon (Virginia), Isiah Whitehead (Seton Hall), Antwan Scott (Colorado State), Wes Washpun (Northern Iowa), Patrick McCaw (UNLV), Abdel Nader (Iowa State), Michael Bryson (UCSB), Ryan Arcidiacono (Villanova), Isaia Cordinier (France), Furkan Korkmaz (Turkey), Joe De Ciman (Colorado State), Dejounte Murray (Washington) and Tanner Samson (Elon).

Forwards who took part in workouts included Nikola Jovanovic (USC), Josh Scott (Colorado), Pascal Siakam (New Mexico State), Ben Bentil (Providence), Anthony Gill (Virginia), Derrick Jones (UNLV), Juancho Hernangomez (Spain), Brice Johnson (North Carolina), Chris Obekpa (UNLV), Guerschon Yabusele (France), Henry Ellenson (Marquette), Robert Carter (Maryland), Joel Bolomboy (Weber State), Taurean Prince (Baylor), Cheick Diallo (Kansas), Nik Slavica (Croatia), Deyonta Davis (Michigan State), Timothe Luwawu (France), Petr Cornelie (France), and Majok Deng (Louisiana-Monroe).

Centers who worked out included Shawn Long (Louisiana at Lafayette), Ryan Stephan (Colorado-Mesa), Diamond Stone (Maryland), Stephen Zimmerman (UNLV), Egidijus Mockevicius (Lithuania) and Chinanu Onuaku (Louisville).

The NBA Draft has occurred annually dating back to 1947. Each year, the teams in the league take turns drafting players who are eligible to join the ranks of the best basketball players in the world.

Prospective draftees are typically college players but international prospects have become increasingly common in recent years. As of 2006, high school players could no longer enter the draft directly after graduation. They become eligible for the draft one year after their high school graduation and must be at least 19 years old. Some players, such as the Nuggets’ Emmanuel Mudiay, chose to use that year to play professionally overseas.

The Denver Nuggets will host its official viewing party presented by Bud Light on the KeyBank Club Level at Pepsi Center. The 2016 NBA Draft will be displayed live on Pepsi Vision. Coverage begins at 5 p.m. MST, and the draft is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. MST on ESPN.

Additionally, Nuggets GM Tim Connelly's first comments following the draft will be broadcast live exclusively on Nuggets.com and the official Denver Nuggets mobile app.

Be sure to check Nuggets Draft Central for interviews, highlights, and complete coverage throughout the 2016 NBA Draft.