Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas will be reevaluated in four weeks after being diagnosed with a right calf strain, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The Nuggets formally confirmed the news in a press release (Twitter link).
Valanciunas suffered the injury in the third quarter of Wednesday’s win at Toronto. The Lithuanian big man was making his first start of the season in place of superstar Nikola Jokic, who is also out at least four weeks due to a left knee injury.
It’s yet another tough blow for the Nuggets, who were playing without four starters on Wednesday and will now be without their primary backup center for several weeks.
Valanciunas, 33, has been quite durable throughout his lengthy NBA career, appearing in 70-plus regular season contests in nine of his 13 years in the league heading into 2025/26. That has been particularly true of the past few seasons — he played 81 games in ’24/25, 82 in ’23/24, and 79 in ’22/23.
Denver acquired Valanciunas over the summer in an offseason trade with Sacramento. He’s playing just 13.3 minutes per game — a career low — but has been productive in his limited time on the court, averaging 8.5 points and 4.7 rebounds in 33 appearances.
Peyton Watson, DaRon Holmes II and Zeke Nnaji are among the Nuggets who could receive more frontcourt minutes amid the wave of injuries.
Oof, so much for their Jokic insurance plan.
Oh my.. that’s in addition to 4 starters. 😳
No excuse now gotta play Nnaji. Gave him an extension.
Sunk cost. No use playing him if he’s terrible – they owe him the money either way.
better now have the injuries then in the playoffs and lose.