CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Bobcats wanted to load up on draft picks. The Denver Nuggets were happy to sit out the entire draft.

The Nuggets traded the 20th pick to the Bobcats today in exchange for a future, protected first-round pick. The Bobcats, who also hold the ninth pick on Thursday, may now get a chance to address needs at center and point guard.

The Nuggets, meanwhile, will have no picks on Thursday. Denver, which was swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Lakers, had already traded its second-round choice to Seattle.

Not having a first-round pick saves the salary cap-strapped Nuggets from having to the pay the luxury tax on a guaranteed rookie contract.

"Tough roster to make. You look at a young guy coming in, where does he go?" said Nuggets vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentien. "Again, you look at the positions and it's tough finding minutes for young guys."

Denver will get Charlotte's first-round pick next season if the Bobcats make the playoffs. If they don't, Charlotte keeps it. The pick would then be protected by a sliding scale, where Charlotte would retain it if it's in the top 12 in 2010, top 10 in 2011, top eight in 2012 and top three in 2013. Charlotte would have no protection for the pick in 2014.

But the Bobcats are determined to make the playoffs for the first time next season, and part-owner Michael Jordan and new coach Larry Brown will have a chance to improve the roster Thursday night.

The Bobcats could have their eye on 7-foot-2 center Roy Hibbert of Georgetown with the 20th pick. The Bobcats were impressed with Hibbert during a predraft workout earlier this month. Charlotte has a desperate need up front after consistently getting outrebounded last season. Hibbert is expected to go late in the first round.

Charlotte also could take a big man at No. 9, or a point guard if Russell Westbrook of UCLA is still available. The Bobcats have no point guard on the roster after starter Raymond Felton.

Another scenario would be Charlotte packaging both picks to move up from the ninth spot. General manager Rod Higgins said today the Bobcats had interest in getting a higher pick.

The future first-round picks give the Nuggets more options in future trade talk. Warkentien compared it to walking around with a "loaded gun" during negotiations.

"There is a myriad of possibilities of what you can do with this. We love the flexibility," Warkentien said. "Good businesses remain flexible and we have a lot of flexibility now."