Earlier this week, ESPN reported that Denver was one of many teams interested in dealing with Memphis for a trade involving the number 4 pick in the draft. With numerous reports suggesting that Luka Doncic might fall as far as 4 on Thursday night, Memphis was fielding offers from a sizable group of teams, with hopes of unloading Chandler Parsons’ contract in a potential deal.

But ESPN’s latest report, coming in the form of a tweet from Adrian Wojnarowski, suggests that the long list of teams looking to improve their position within the lottery tier has dwindled and no longer includes the Denver Nuggets.

Among the teams still active in trying to trade higher into lottery: Dallas, Chicago, Cleveland and the Clippers, league sources tell ESPN. Philadelphia’s No. 10 pick is in play, a target for teams pursing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Otherwise, he could go No. 11 to Charlotte. — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 21, 2018

Since ESPN’s initial report it’s become less clear that Atlanta would be willing to pass on Doncic, and perhaps that has cooled Denver’s interest. Perhaps Memphis’ asking price was simply to large a pill for Tim Connelly and company to swallow. Either way, Luka Doncic was always a pipe dream for Denver, but the non-zero percentage of coming away with a player of his caliber was enough to evoke excitement from Nuggets Twitter, if only for several days.

We’re so very close to the draft, but time moves slowly on this day, June 21st, the longest day of the year in both a literal and figurative sense for NBA junkies. No doors are completely closed until Adam Silver announces that first pick. But for Nuggets fans, the Doncic door appears all but slammed shut.