Jalen Pickett is a methodical, pass-first backup point guard for the Denver Nuggets. A Rochester native who starred at Siena and then Penn State — scoring 41 in a game and topping 2,000 career points — he was drafted 32nd in 2023 (via Indiana). He provides steady secondary playmaking off Denver's bench and notched his first NBA triple-double in 2025.
Model lines Pickett at 5.1 pts (range 2.4–7.8) vs a 5 line — a lean to clear it (52%).
Biggest edge: venue — home floor — small boost.
A patient, pass-first guard who took the long road — from a mid-major star to a Nuggets table-setter.
A Rochester kid, Pickett became the highest-drafted player in Siena history, then transferred to Penn State and dropped 41 on Illinois while topping 2,000 career points.
Indiana took him 32nd in 2023 and dealt his rights to Denver, where he provides steady backup playmaking — and logged his first NBA triple-double in 2025.
A big, methodical playmaking guard — steady secondary ball-handling behind Denver's stars.
Pickett grew up in Rochester, New York, starred at Siena — becoming the highest-drafted Siena alum ever — and finished at Penn State, where he scored 41 against Illinois (a program first since 1961) and topped 2,000 career points. Indiana drafted him 32nd in 2023 and traded his rights to Denver.
A change-of-pace, assist-first guard, he recorded his first NBA triple-double in April 2025 and a 29-point, seven-three night in January 2026.
Sources: Wikipedia.
Pickett's path is a study in patience and development — five college seasons across two programs, from a mid-major star at Siena to a record-setter at Penn State, before a second-round selection. His game mirrors his journey: unhurried, cerebral, and built on feel rather than flash.
A patient, pass-first table-setter — a cerebral change-of-pace guard.
Secondary creation
Pickett's value is unglamorous but real: a big, methodical guard who can run a bench unit, keep the ball moving, and rarely turn it over. On a team that leans heavily on Jokić and Murray to create, reliable secondary ball-handling in non-star minutes matters.
Per game
| Season | GP | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | FG% | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 50 | 16.1 | 5.2 | 2.3 | 2.3 | .422 | .386 |
Source: Basketball-Reference.
Jalen Pickett's 2025-26 value came from spacing and complementary scoring alongside Nikola Jokić.
A reserve on a 54-28 Nuggets team built around Nikola Jokić, with value rooted in spacing and complementary scoring.
He starred at Siena before transferring to Penn State, where he scored over 2,000 career points.
32nd overall in 2023 by Indiana, who traded his rights to the Denver Nuggets.