Former Nuggets GM Calvin Booth Discusses Denver Exit
Appearing on The Kevin O’Connor Show with Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports, former Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth spoke at length about his time as the head of Denver’s basketball operations department and the factors that led to him and former Nuggets head coach Michael Malone being let go on the same day last April, with just three games left in the regular season.
While friction between Booth and Malone was the the reason most frequently cited as the reason why Denver made such a significant change with the 2025 postseason around the corner, Booth downplayed that conflict to some extent, suggesting it wasn’t unique to the Nuggets and was just one of several factors why he lost his job.
In Booth’s view, another one of those factors that led to his exit is that the Nuggets’ ownership group doesn’t value its front office executives as highly as other teams do.
“Whether it’s Mark Warkentien or Tim (Connelly) or Masai (Ujiri), there’s always gonna come a point where they don’t value executives like that,” he told O’Connor. “I’ll probably disagree with their take on executives, but who am I? They’ve been so successful, so maybe it’s the right way to operate.”
Booth also suggested that he might have made the general manager job “look too easy,” as O’Connor relays.
“Anybody that’s really good at something, when they make it look easy, that was really, really hard to get to,” Booth explained. “(It took) a lifetime’s worth of playing basketball, coaching basketball, having conversations, scouting. For me to go in there right away, assemble a championship team, win a championship.”
While those remarks may open up Booth to criticism, it’s worth noting that his track record in the GM role was pretty strong. After Connelly built the core of the roster, Booth added several valuable complementary pieces in his first offseason on the job in 2022, trading for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, signing Bruce Brown, and drafting Christian Braun and Peyton Watson outside the top 20. The moves helped Denver win its first NBA championship in 2023.
The Nuggets lost several of their veteran role players in subsequent summers, with Brown and Jeff Green departing in free agency in 2023 and Caldwell-Pope doing the same in 2024. Denver’s front office took some flak for not doing more to re-sign those key contributors, but Booth argues that doing so would’ve impeded the progress of some of the team’s most promising prospects.
“The reality of the thing is if we sign Bruce Brown back, we sign KCP back, or if they leave and we sign veterans … do Christian Braun and Peyton Watson do what they’re doing right now?” Booth said. “Definitely not.”
Despite limited draft resources, Booth continued to bring in young players – including Julian Strawther, Jalen Pickett, Hunter Tyson, Collin Gillespie, DaRon Holmes, and Spencer Jones – and his desire to develop those youngsters clashed with Malone’s preference to lean on win-now veterans, which was a primary source of the tension between the two men.
Still, Nuggets ownership’s aversion to operating deep in the tax meant that Booth had to try to find cheap talent to fill out the roster, and while not every one of his draft picks and UDFA signings was a success, many of those players have since developed into solid NBA rotation pieces in Denver or elsewhere.
“In most situations when somebody’s running a team, I don’t think the expectation is to bat 1.000,” Booth said. “For some reason, I started to get the feeling that that was the expectation for me from whoever was in and around the Denver Nuggets community.”
Here are a few more of Booth’s most notable comments from his appearance on O’Connor’s podcast, which is worth checking out in full for Nuggets fans:
On why his “idealism” might’ve clashed with Malone’s “realism” due to the nature of their respective roles:
“I have to take accountability whatever way that narrative grew legs and my part in it, I’ve learned from that. There’s such a weird paradox with NBA coaches. They’re in the midst of the lion’s den. They’re dealing with players, some of the most formidable size-wise and ego-wise in the world, and they’re managing them. Those guys buy in. And then these coaches have to report to a general manager who maybe doesn’t have the gravitas they do. I just think it’s a human nature thing.”
On the job that Ben Tenzer and Jon Wallace have done running the Nuggets’ front office since last spring:
“They’re great. A lot of (the roster moves they made) we talked about when I was there. We thought we were gonna get (Jonas) Valanciunas at the trade deadline. Obviously, they did their own unique things, but the one thing about the new CBA, there’s only so many trades that can be done. It’s kind of like paint-by-numbers, in that sense. So anybody sitting in that seat in Denver is going to have some kind of Michael Porter Jr. for Cam Johnson concept, because that’s just one of the better deals that was out there.”
On whether he’d like another chance to be an NBA general manager:
“Nobody’s entitled or owed an opportunity to run an NBA team. There’s 30 jobs. All those guys in their own way deserve to be in that seat. I’d be foolish to say that for the right scenario I wouldn’t be willing to work for somebody.
“My door wasn’t knocking down with people waiting to hire me. That’s where this whole thing got blown out of proportion. If you look tangibly at what I did — my win percentage, what I drafted, working with a coach like Coach Malone as a first-time GM — I just don’t know how my door isn’t knocking. … You could put 100 GMs in my position. I don’t know what, three or four of them do as good as I did.”
On whether he thinks Malone wants to find another NBA head coaching job:
“He doesn’t mind commentating games. But he would probably die to coach an NBA team tomorrow. And he deserves it. He’s a championship coach.”
Western Notes: Kerr, Braun, Barnes, Hinson
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr admits that tanking is a major concern for the league, but he doesn’t have any simple solutions, Nick Friedell of The Athletic writes.
“Ironically, the last few years, it seems like it has not been at the forefront like it is this year because of the play-in (tournament),” Kerr said. “More teams felt like they were in it. This year, it’s pronounced just because of the circumstances and where a lot of teams are — injuries, starting rebuilds, that sort of thing. I know the league is really concerned about it, as they should be. It’s not good for the fans, for the league itself. They’re considering everything. It’s a really tough issue.”
Kerr also sees the issue from the perspective of teams jockeying for lottery positions, knowing that one of the top picks in the 2026 draft could be a franchise-altering player.
“The bottom line is you kinda have to get lucky in the lottery,” Kerr said. “It’s what makes this issue so tricky, is that great players — Steph (Curry) and Tim Duncan, Wemby (Victor Wembanyama) — they’re not only team-changing, but they’re franchise-changing, for even beyond the scope of those guys’ careers. And so there’s only a handful of players that can do that, that are that valuable. And so teams are all clamoring for them. Sometimes, you don’t know who they are. Steph was the seventh pick. Giannis (Antetokounmpo) was the (15th) pick. So it’s not always the first couple guys, but more often than not, the first pick has an opportunity to be that guy, and that’s what creates this issue.”
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Nuggets guard Christian Braun has appeared in four games since returning from a left ankle sprain. Braun missed nearly two months of action previously before an aborted attempt to come back last month from the same ailment. He played in only three January games before the ankle issue grounded him again and realizes now he wasn’t at full strength last month. “I think the biggest (factor) was, ‘Can I jump in the air?’” he told Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. “Obviously, they do all their tests (on an injury) and they do a really good job, but truthfully, I couldn’t jump. And if everybody has seen me play, I jump off my left leg a ton. So I’m just navigating, like, ‘Before I come back this next time, I need to make sure I can jump. I can run full speed and I can jump.’ It sounds really elementary and really basic, but that’s the truth. The explosion just wasn’t there.”
- Commissioner Adam Silver selected Brandon Ingram to replace Stephen Curry in the All-Star Game. Spurs forward Harrison Barnes felt teammates Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox were more worthy candidates. “We’re No. 2 in the West,” Barnes told Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express News. “Teams below us have two All-Stars. I don’t know a case where if you’re talking about having an impact on winning, either of them shouldn’t be selected and/or at least under consideration.”
- Blake Hinson‘s two-way contract with the Jazz is a two-year deal, per Spotrac contributor Keith Smith (Twitter link). The 26-year-old small forward is in the midst of a standout year in the G League, where he’s averaging 21.8 points and 5.8 rebounds with Portland’s affiliate, the Rip City Remix. Hinson signed his new contract on Monday.
Injury Notes: Braun, Durant, Henderson, Spurs, Washington
Nuggets guard Christian Braun appears to be on the verge of returning to action. He has been upgraded to questionable for Denver’s game in Detroit on Tuesday, as Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette tweets.
A left ankle sprain has been a problem for Braun for much of the season. The 24-year-old initially injured the ankle on November 12 and returned on January 4, but suited up for just three games before heading back to the Nuggets’ injured list for several more weeks. He has been limited to just 14 total appearances in 2025/26.
Although Braun is trending toward returning either Tuesday or Wednesday, Denver’s starting lineup will still be far from whole. Cameron Johnson (right knee bone bruise) and Aaron Gordon (right hamstring strain) remain on the shelf for the team.
Here are several more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Rockets forward Kevin Durant missed his third game of the season on Sunday due to a left ankle sprain, but head coach Ime Udoka is hopeful the former MVP’s absence won’t extend beyond that contest, tweets Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Houston picked up a win in Indiana on Sunday with Reed Sheppard starting in place of Durant.
- Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson has been listed as doubtful for Tuesday’s matchup with Phoenix. While his season debut may not happen tonight, Henderson said on Sunday that he feels “amazing” and “ready” to play after missing Portland’s first 50 games this season due to a hamstring tear, per Joe Freeman of The Oregonian.
- Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama was initially listed as questionable on Sunday due to left calf soreness, while guard Stephon Castle missed the contest as a result of left adductor tightness, but neither ailment is viewed as serious, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required). “It’s just been something that’s been a little tight,” head coach Mitch Johnson said of Castle’s injury. “Don’t foresee it being anything major or long-term. The (back-to-back) circumstances we were coming out of only added to it. We felt like it was the best decision for him (to sit out one game).”
- Mavericks forward P.J. Washington has entered the NBA’s concussion protocol and will miss at least Tuesday’s game vs. Boston, tweets Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. Washington will have to work his way through the protocol before being cleared to return to action.
Nuggets Notes: Gordon, Jokic, Watson, Braun
The Nuggets‘ hopes of having their preferred starting lineup together again soon were dashed when Aaron Gordon reaggravated his right hamstring strain, resulting in another four-to-six-week absence. The setback compounds a frustrating season for Gordon, who suffered the original injury in November and has only been available for 23 games, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.
“That’s a very unselfish person in Aaron, and being able to help his teammates and win games is a big part of who he is. It’s why his jersey will hang here,” coach David Adelman said. “So he’s where he should be (emotionally). Frustrated. Pissed off.”
Gordon returned to action on a minutes restriction earlier this month and was used off the bench for a few games as he eased back into his normal role. The latest injury occurred last Friday in Milwaukee on the second night of a back-to-back. Gordon played 33 minutes in the first game, but Adelman points out that he was able to pass a stress test and insists that “nobody made a mistake” by using him in that situation.
Durando adds that Gordon wasn’t able to undergo an MRI right away because the team got stranded in Memphis due to a blizzard last weekend. Adelman said Gordon had been hopeful that this hamstring issue was less serious than the previous one before the medical results were obtained. He’ll be sidelined until mid-March if the recovery stretches to six weeks, and Durando suggests the team may want to be extra cautious when he’s cleared to return.
“It hurts the team, but I’m more concerned about him,” Adelman added. “Just him having to restart this whole process, find the motivation to get back. We know he’ll be back before the end of the season. And he’ll get back to being who he is. Just an unfortunate thing in a season of many unfortunate things.
There’s more on the Nuggets:
- Nikola Jokic got into early foul trouble on Friday, which made it easier for Adelman to keep him on his minutes restriction in his return from a 16-game injury absence, per Logan Struck of Sports Illustrated. Jokic still made history in the 25 minutes he played, but Adelman didn’t have to worry about overtaxing him. “At the most, he probably would have played three more minutes, maybe,” Adelman said. “We’re just trying to balance it the best we can with the information that’s been given to us. But obviously he was very impactful.”
- Peyton Watson has been the biggest beneficiary of the offseason deal that sent Michael Porter Jr. to Brooklyn in exchange for Cameron Johnson, observes Sean Keeler of The Denver Post. Watson had been stuck behind Porter prior to this season, but he’s averaging more than 20 points per game over the past month and Keeler states that he’s established himself as either a core piece for the future or a valuable trade asset.
- Christian Braun has been upgraded to doubtful for Sunday’s game against Oklahoma City, the Nuggets announced (via Twitter). He has been sidelined since January 9 with a sprained left ankle.
Jokic Makes History In Return From Knee Injury
Nikola Jokic made a triumphant return to action on Friday. Jokic finished with 31 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three steals in 24 minutes as the Nuggets posted a 13-point win over the Clippers. According to the Denver Post’s Bennett Durando, Jokic became the first player in NBA history to amass 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in fewer than 25 minutes.
Jokic missed the previous 16 games due to a knee injury.
“You miss playing. You miss the pressure. You miss the adrenaline. Just being out there with the guys and trying to win a game,” Jokic said. “It’s a collective that I missed. This hasn’t happened for me probably in my career. So it was an interesting feeling.”
Being out for an extended period was a helpless feeling for the three-time Most Valuable Player.
“Watching just a game, it was taking so much of my energy,” he said. “I was yelling at the TV when I stayed back in Denver, and then, like, in the games (I was attending), I was so emotionally empty after the games. And then I decided the last two games, I’m just gonna try to chill and watch the game.”
Denver still isn’t close to being a full strength with Aaron Gordon sidelined by a hamstring strain and Christian Braun (ankle) and Cameron Johnson (knee) also rehabbing injuries. But getting Jokic back is an enormous boost one of the Western Conference’s prime contenders.
Jokic said the knee wasn’t on his mind while he was on the court.
“I was not scared to use it,” he said. “I was not thinking about it while I’m running, while I’m playing, so I think that’s a good sign that I’m ready.”
Nuggets Notes: Gordon, Valanciunas, Watson, Jokic, More
David Adelman says Aaron Gordon is hopeful his latest right hamstring strain isn’t as severe as when he initially injured it in late November, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. However, the Nuggets‘ head coach also acknowledged Gordon’s status remains uncertain.
“I feel for him,” Adelman said. “He’s optimistic it’s not as bad as it was, the last one. But we won’t know until we get it actually tested.”
Gordon missed six weeks — and 19 games — before returning to action in early January. Adelman explained the team’s decision to play the veteran power forward in Friday’s win at Milwaukee, which was the second night of a back-to-back.
“It’s just the stress test. That’s what they go by,” Adelman said, per Durando. “And they look at his body and how it responded to yesterday. The response was good.
“And let’s just be honest. This is not an exact science. These injuries, they can come back any time. Aaron’s had different ones that are similar, the soft tissue stuff. … Nobody made a mistake with him playing. You can only do what you can do. And we have the best people in the world making decisions. They believed that the stress test showed he was good to go. So he did.”
Here’s more on the Nuggets:
- After Thursday’s win in Washington, Gordon said he was thrilled to have Jonas Valanciunas back in the lineup, Durando writes for The Denver Post. The Lithuanian center had missed 22 days due to a calf strain and finished with 16 points, nine rebounds and two assists in 22 minutes against his former team. “He pushes me back to the four,” Gordon said with enthusiasm when the topic of Valanciunas’ return came up. “It’s nice having somebody bigger on the floor than me. On the defensive end, on the glass, on the offensive end. … I can play big-big pick-and-roll again. I mean, he’s a fantastic player. And it’s nice having that center. That anchor back in, boxing out, getting rebounds.” It’s a very small sample size (54 minutes), but the Nuggets have blitzed their opponents with Gordon and Valanciunas on the court, Durando notes. “It’s been a while since I’ve played with him, so it’s great,” Valanciunas said. “He’s a good player. He’s very smart, very crafty. He knows what he’s doing on the floor. High-IQ guy.”
- Peyton Watson notched a career-best 35 points on 10-of-16 shooting in Thursday’s victory, according to Durando, though the fourth-year forward injured his left ankle in the process and sat out Friday with what the team referred to as sprains in both ankles. Watson, who has played exceptionally well over the past two months and particularly since Nikola Jokic went down with a knee injury in late December, also contributed eight rebounds, four blocks, three assists and two steals in 40 minutes. One high-ranking NBA executive told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps that Watson could receive a contract worth around $20MM annually in restricted free agency this summer.
- Jokic, Christian Braun (left ankle sprain) and Cameron Johnson (right knee bone bruise) all went through pregame shooting routines prior to Thursday’s contest, Durando adds. Jokic was wearing a sleeve on his injured left leg.
- In a fourth story, Durando explores five trends that have defined the Nuggets since Jokic got hurt.
Nuggets Notes: Braun, Murray, Hardaway, Gordon, Jokic
Nuggets wing Christian Braun missed seven weeks due to a left ankle injury, didn’t look like his normal self in his three games back earlier this month, and has now missed the past four contests. Head coach David Adelman says Braun didn’t re-injure his ankle or suffer a setback, but instead realized he wasn’t 100% when he returned to action.
“I watch him work out, and he’s going full speed. It’s just, he can’t do everything his body should be able to do right now,” Adelman said, per Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link). “And so I feel like it’s fair to us and to the player for him to come back when he’s really ready to play basketball, not just run up and down the court.
“CB is tough. So him coming back as quick as he did off an injury like that is not surprising. And I think we have to do what’s best for him. I do think it’s a group conversation. Whatever CB communicates, I 100% understand where he’s coming from. That guy likes to play, loves to hoop. And he loves to win.”
Braun said earlier this month that he tore ligaments in his ankle when he initially suffered the injury on November 12. The 24-year-old added that he was unable to walk for several weeks.
Here’s more from Denver:
- The Nuggets trailed the Wizards by seven points early in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game, but Jamal Murray and Tim Hardaway Jr. sparked a comeback victory by combining for 31 points in the final period, Benedetto writes for The Denver Gazette. Murray, who should be a lock to make his first All-Star appearance, had another outstanding outing, finishing with 42 points (on 15-of-24 shooting), six assists, three rebounds, two steals and two blocks in 39 minutes. Hardaway, meanwhile, scored a season-high 30 points (on 10-of-18 shooting) in 36 minutes off the bench. The veteran guard/forward, who is playing on a one-year, minimum-salary contract, is shooting a career-best 41.5% from long distance this season.
- According to Benedetto (Twitter link), Adelman said multiple times after the game that he played Murray and Aaron Gordon (eight points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists in 32 minutes as the starting center) more than he wanted to on Saturday. Benedetto says he wouldn’t be surprised if both players are unavailable for Sunday’s back-to-back against Charlotte.
- Superstar center Nikola Jokic has essentially been acting as an assistant coach since he suffered a knee injury at the end of last month, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “I think for the young guys, the guys that haven’t played as much, to have a three-time MVP pull you aside and give you confidence, talk to you about what you can do better in this situation (is valuable). … Especially Nikola, who has memorized this league’s playbook,” Adelman said. “It’s absolutely insane. So leadership comes from a million places. Your veteran players are so important. … All these guys that have been through it, and I always say this, not just the successes they’ve had but the failures, too. They’ve been through it, and they can have a commentary that sometimes a coach can’t have with a player.” The Nuggets have gone 7-3 so far without their best player.
Nuggets Notes: Jokic, Watson, Hardaway, Injuries
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, who has been out since late December after hyperextending his left knee, has resumed on-court workouts, ESPN’s Shams Charania said on Wednesday during an appearance on NBA Today (Twitter video link).
Jokic was ruled out for four weeks on December 30 and he may not miss much – if any – time beyond that initial projection, Charania said, referring to the big man as “right on schedule, if not a little bit ahead of schedule.” According to Charania, the Nuggets are optimistic that Jokic will be able to return to action before the end of January.
As Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports notes (via Twitter), if Jokic misses exactly four weeks as a result of the knee injury, he’d make his return on January 27, resulting in a 15-game absence. That would allow the three-time MVP to retain his award eligibility for the 2025/26 season, since he could miss up to 17 contests and still reach the 65-game minimum.
Of course, Jokic’s long-term health will be a more important consideration for the Nuggets than his ability to qualify for end-of-season awards — especially since the team has more than held its own in his absence and shouldn’t be desperate to get him back as soon as possible.
Denver has gone 5-3 without Jokic, picking up road victories in Toronto, Philadelphia, and Boston during that stretch. The club is tied for the second-best record in the Western Conference at 27-13.
Here’s more on the Nuggets:
- One key reason for Denver’s strong play without Jokic is fourth-year wing Peyton Watson, who has put up excellent numbers (24.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.1 BPG, .511/.442/.731) in the club’s past eight games. While Watson has battled some turnover issues as his usage increases, he’s showing legitimate star potential, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscription required), and earned the first Player of the Week award of his career this week. “I can’t tell you the last time I’ve won any personal accolade. So it really means a lot to me to be recognized by the league,” Watson said. “It’s just more fuel to my fire. It makes me want to be better and better. I don’t want that to be my first and only. I want it to be the first of many.”
- He was somewhat overlooked during an offseason that also saw the Nuggets add Cameron Johnson, Jonas Valanciunas, and Bruce Brown, but veteran swingman Tim Hardaway Jr. has made the team look savvy for signing him to a one-year, minimum-salary contract last summer, Durando writes in another Denver Post story (subscription required). Hardaway’s .463 FG% and .414 3PT% are career highs, and he has gotten more comfortable in a leadership role over the course of the season. “Tim’s been great,” teammate Jalen Pickett said. “He’s been telling me, ‘Be aggressive, get in there, attack.’ He sees the work that I put in. So, just having a veteran like that, who can read the game and see the game, is great.”
- Christian Braun (left ankle sprain) will miss a third straight game on Wednesday in Dallas, while Jamal Murray (left ankle sprain; illness) and Brown (right knee inflammation) are listed as questionable on the second night of a back-to-back (Twitter link via Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette).
Northwest Notes: Avdija, Edwards, Gobert, Shannon Jr., Braun
Trail Blazers breakout star forward Deni Avdija won’t play on Tuesday against Golden State. He’s sidelined with lower back soreness, the team’s PR department tweets. Avdija, who is averaging 26.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game, has appeared in all 40 of Portland’s previous games.
Another key Blazers player, forward Jerami Grant, is doubtful due to left Achilles tendonitis.
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Timberwolves star guard Anthony Edwards won’t suit up on Tuesday against Milwaukee due to right foot injury maintenance, the team’s PR department tweets. This will be the eighth game Edwards has missed this season — he’ll be ineligible for postseason awards if he misses 10 more games. Center Rudy Gobert will also miss the game — he’s serving a one-game league suspension for accumulating too many flagrant fouls. Regarding Gobert’s suspension, ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes that the one-game ban will cost Gobert $201,149 (Twitter link). The Wolves will also receive a tax variance credit of $100,575.
- Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon Jr. is making progress from his left foot abductor hallucis strain but there’s no timetable for his return, according to a team press release. Shannon will miss his 10th straight game this evening. The 2024 first-round pick has appeared in 22 games off the bench this season but has only averaged 4.5 points in 12.8 minutes per game.
- Nuggets guard Christian Braun will miss his second consecutive game due to a left ankle sprain. Braun warmed up to play against Milwaukee on Sunday but didn’t feel right and was ruled out, Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports tweets. It’s a concerning development, considering Braun missed nearly two months of action with an ankle injury before returning earlier this month.
- The Thunder‘s Luguentz Dort is a late scratch for tonight’s key matchup with San Antonio due to left foot soreness, Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman tweets.
Nuggets Notes: Watson, Braun, Jokic, Tax, Jones
Fourth-year forward Peyton Watson has been boosting his value ahead of restricted free agency in the summer and it will be tricky for the Nuggets to match a potential offer sheet, observes Troy Renck of The Denver Post.
As Renck writes, Denver’s front office prioritized a rookie scale extension for Christian Braun last offseason over a new deal for Watson. While that decision was understandable at the time, it will limit the team’s financial flexibility moving forward and make it much more difficult to re-sign Watson without going over the second tax apron.
In the five games since Nikola Jokic suffered a knee injury, Watson has averaged 24.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block on .518/.414/.706 shooting, Renck notes, showing that his game can scale with more opportunities. Renck suggests the Nuggets’ best option with Watson might be to work out a sign-and-trade in the 2026 offseason.
Here’s more on the Nuggets:
- Braun was very durable during his college career at Kansas and in his first three NBA seasons with the Nuggets. The 24-year-old wing was diagnosed with a left ankle sprain in November, an injury that caused him to miss seven weeks. Why was he out so long? “The ligaments in my ankle were ripped,” Braun told Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “So that’s what made it tough. I was in a boot for the first three weeks. I was on crutches for a couple weeks. So I couldn’t walk. … I had to get all that strength back. And it’s still a work in progress. That’s pretty clear.”
- Head coach David Adelman provided a minor injury update on Jokic prior to Friday’s game in Atlanta, tweets Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette. According to Adelman, the three-time MVP is eager to return to action, but has largely been limited to lifting weights at this point as continues to recover from a hyperextended left knee. “I understand the 65-game rule, but a guy that never misses games for a decade, it bothers me a little bit,” Adelman said (Twitter video link via DNVR Sports). “This is not somebody that’s sitting out. He never sits out.“
- Despite multi-week injuries to Jokic and Jonas Valanciunas (calf strain), the Nuggets are unlikely to sign a center to a 10-day contract due to their tax situation, Durando reports for The Denver Post. League sources tell Durando the Nuggets have two primary objectives heading into the trade deadline: dipping below the tax threshold (they’re currently about $400K over) and promoting Spencer Jones from a two-way contract to a standard deal.