‘Long journey’ ends for Holmes as Nuggets take him with No. 22 pick in NBA Draft

DaRon Holmes II sat at a table that had a golden NBA basketball placed on a pedestal. All the potential first-round picks had the same basketballs with their names on them.

There didn’t seem to be much for the players, their coaches and their family and friends — whoever they invited to sit with them in the Green Room — to do during the draft other than to talk to others at the table, check their phones, watch the draft and wait in anticipation.

DaRon’s younger brothers, Quintyn and Cameron, took it all in from the table along with their parents, DaRon Sr. and Tomika, agent Aaron Reilly and UD coach Anthony Grant.

“It was amazing,” said Cameron, a top-20 recruit in the class of 2026 who has a scholarship offer from Dayton. “He worked so hard for this. To see him at an NBA table, it was just like, ‘Wow, I’ve just got to live in the moment.’ So I was kind of just living in the moment. And I know he was as well.”

Holmes waited about 2½ hours to hear his name called. The Denver Nuggets, the team long rumored to have the most interest in Holmes, traded up six spots to draft him with the No. 22 pick around 10:30 p.m. The Phoenix Suns received Denver’s No. 28, No. 56 and two future second-round picks in the deal.

The trade wasn’t official when Holmes walked onto the stage. That’s why he wore a Suns hat. By the time he got to the interview room later in the evening, Holmes wore a Nuggets hat. He’ll join a team that won the NBA championship in 2023 and stars three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić.

“A lot of great players, a lot of great talent there,” Holmes said. “I’m excited to get out there and play. It’s a great team, a great organization for a reason. I’m going to get better, and I’m going to keep going.”

Holmes admitted he felt nervous at times during the draft. He was one of 24 players in the Green Room. Two did not hear their names called and will have to wait for the second round on Thursday: Kyle Filipowski, of Duke; and Johnny Furphy, of Kansas.

Quintyn said the family knew DaRon would get drafted and nobody was anxious, but DaRon did not share all the details of what he had heard from the Nuggets or other teams.

“We knew some things,” Quintyn said.

“He couldn’t tell us everything,” Cameron said. “He really had to be a big brother and keep it to himself. I’m sure my dad knew and his agent.”

At the table, the brothers knew DaRon would hear his name soon when the TV cameramen approached the table. That had been a strong clue throughout the night, spoiling the surprise a bit for everyone.

“Four or five cameras came to the table,” Cameron said. “We were like, ‘Wow, he’s really getting drafted.’”

Holmes put his head in his hands on the table as he awaited the announcement. Beside him, Grant wore a satisfied smile on his face. He, too, knew the wait was about to end.

“The Phoenix Suns select DaRon Holmes II, from the University of Dayton,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who referred to UD as Dayton University when Obi Toppin was drafted in 2020.

Holmes stood up and pounded his chest after hearing his name. Then he hugged everyone at the table, starting with his mom and dad and moving to his brothers and saving Grant for last. He pointed to a group of fans from his high school in the stands. Then after posing for a photo with Silver on stage, he bowed to those fans as he left the stage.

High up in the stands, on the other side of the arena, a group of coaches and players from UD watched the scene. Six current Flyers were there: Malachi Smith; Brady Uhl; Enoch Cheeks; Nate Santos; Isaac Jack; and Javon Bennett. Associate head coach Ricardo Greer, assistant coaches James Kane, Darren Hertz and Jermaine Henderson, trainer Mike Mulcahey and strength coach Casey Cathrall sat nearby.

Earlier in the day, that group met with Holmes at the Lotte New York Palace hotel in Midtown Manhattan. They were the first to see his purple suit. The choice of colors was a shoutout to Millennium High School, where he also wore purple.

Holmes became the the 23rd player in Atlantic 10 Conference history to be drafted in the first round. He’s also the fourth first-round pick in UD history and first since Obi Toppin, the No. 8 pick in 2020, and the fourth UD player picked in the last seven drafts. Holmes and Toumani Camara, a second-round pick in 2023, are the first UD players to be picked in back-to-back drafts since the 1950s.

“It’s all in the process there,” Holmes said. “The coaches there, the people there are just amazing. Dayton does a great job of giving you the right pathway. It’s all up to you if you choose to believe in that or not. So they did that with me. They did that with Toumani, Obi and all the guys before that. I believed in it, and I”m here where I am now because of that. I’m very grateful for it.”

After leaving the stage, Holmes began a round of interviews. ESPN talked to him first. Holmes still wore the emotions of the big moment as he talked.

“It means everything,” Holmes said. “It’s been a long journey. I’m grateful to all my friends and my family.”

“What are the Denver Nuggets ultimately getting when you join that organization?” Holmes was asked.

“They’re going to get a great player,” Holmes said. “I’m here to play hard. I’m here to be a stud. I’m going to do my best. That’s all I’m going to do.”