Regardless of how it ends, this Denver Nuggets season will be one that no true fan will ever be able to forget. And if January is any indication, the rest of the season will continue to be a wild ride.
The first month of 2026 might go down as the oddest month of Nuggets basketball ever. Losing the three-time MVP Nikola Jokić to injury – while already having to deal with injuries to three other starters – then losing backup big Jonas Valančiūnas on the very next night and suddenly being “centerless” for the next four weeks.
A lot of national media types wrote them off. But somehow, some way, they’ve kept on winning.
On one hand, they’ve finally begun to at least start trending in the direction of getting healthy. First Aaron Gordon, and then Valančiūnas return – and all of a sudden, they’re both out again – and Coach David Adelman is sending much of the Grand Rapids Gold lineup out on the floor in Milwaukee against Giannis Antetokounmpo… and the Nuggets are still winning.
Make it make sense. Then again, don’t bother. It’s never going to.
Eventually they’ll put a healthy team back on the court… right? However, even when everyone comes back – and that doesn’t seem imminent – the Nuggets aren’t likely to be out of the injury woods for the rest of the season.
There’s no shortage of fans – and even those national media types – who believe that once Denver does finally kick the injury bug with the return of Jokić, Cameron Johnson and Christian Braun (and it’s looking like that will be the order of return) that they’ll be rested, ready and able to challenge the best in the West for conference supremacy and a shot at another NBA title.
That all sounds wonderful. If only it were as simple as that.
It’s not that simple because injuries and recoveries rarely are. Just take a look at Braun’s situation. What was first thought to be a sprained ankle has turned out to be much worse than that. No telling how much longer he’ll be out. Gordon’s going to be in and out of the lineup with a balky hamstring. Jamal Murray is playing through a variety of small ailments that will only heal when he gets to the summer. Who knows how Jokić, Johnson and Valančiūnas will feel for the rest of the year?
On the plus side, the Nuggets and their followers have learned a lot about themselves over the past month, both good and bad. They’ve learned they can count on players like Peyton Watson, Jalen Pickett and Spencer Jones much more than previously believed. That threesome already gives them more depth, and they’ve provided a much-needed boost during that period when Adelman couldn’t put a legitimate center on the court. We also saw what Murray is truly made of. He’s proven himself to be much more than just a guy who can turn it on in the postseason. He’s someone who can carry a shorthanded team and will them to wins against teams who are able to put more talent on the floor that night. He’s a legitimate All-Star.
We learned that most nights Tim Hardaway Jr. can be counted on, too. All good stuff.
We’ve also learned that the Nuggets coaches don’t yet totally trust DaRon Holmes, that Julian Strawther and his “hair on fire” style of play can work on rare occasions, but also that he’s not always instant offense off the bench every night. And most importantly, we’ve seen that Zeke Nnaji can contribute some, but just not quite enough to be a difference-maker.
Along those lines, we’ve learned that you can never, ever have enough big guys.
It’s obvious now that the Nuggets brass has got to find a way to make a significant trade by the February 5th trade deadline and secure the services of one more big man. A back-up power forward/center type who they can trust in the postseason. A Mason Plumlee (currently out with an injury) type.
When the trio of Jokic, Valančiūnas and Gordon are all healthy and back, Denver will be okay. After a month of getting killed on the boards, everyone is eager for the day the Nuggets can go back to more than holding their own in the rebounding and “second- (and third) chance points” departments. We know how the league’s leading rebounder – Joker – will impact that.
But for how long?
For the rest of this season, there will be a cloud hanging over Ball Arena. The possibility/likelihood of one or more of them getting re-injured will be ever present. Gordon is already out once again, and will be hit and miss the rest of the way – and likely into the postseason. When Joker returns, he’ll likely be limited, too – as is Valančiūnas, coming back from a calf strain – which can be a precursor to a more serious Achilles injury.
All three need to be monitored – and rested. Another “big” must be available for them to do so. And we’ve already determined that Nnaji and Holmes aren’t the answer down low, and that Jones, while willing, just isn’t big enough.
That makes having another trustworthy big man for the rotation imperative to any championship aspirations for this season.
They’ve got to do something. Holmes might be tradable right now. He’s shown flashes, but not down low ,and not enough to earn him minutes. Nnaji wouldn’t be tradeable by himself, mostly due to a bad contract but also because he’s shown his limits, too. Same with Strawther. They also have a first-round draft pick in 2031 they could probably be persuaded to part with.
Would any or all of that be enough?
They’ve got to try. We’re rapidly approaching ‘Go big or go home’ time.
Strike 2: Nuggets still need to make a big trade for another big man Mile High Sports.
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