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.
Nuggets Notes: Depth, Jokic, Braun, Gordon, Murray, Holmes
With Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon back in action on Sunday in Brooklyn following extended injury absences, the Nuggets submitted a disappointing effort that head coach David Adelman referred to as “embarrassing” and “unprofessional,” resulting in a 12-point loss to the Nets.
A day later, all five of Denver’s regular starters were inactive on Monday in Philadelphia for the second game of a back-to-back, as Adelman deployed a starting lineup of Peyton Watson, Jalen Pickett, Bruce Brown, Spencer Jones, and DaRon Holmes, with Zeke Nnaji, Hunter Tyson, Julian Strawther, and Curtis Jones coming off the bench. The team’s effort represented a 180 after Sunday’s dud, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic, as Denver pulled off a shocking 125-124 upset in overtime.
Pickett, who had played double-digit minutes just 12 times this season entering Monday’s game, led the way by scoring a career-high 29 points on 11-of-20 shooting in 42 minutes. Nnaji (21 points, eight rebounds) and Tyson (14 points) also had their best games of the season. Those performances from reserves represent a very encouraging sign for a team that Adelman says is in “survival mode” with star center Nikola Jokic out, according to Jones.
“The thing is that we don’t want to take too much of a fall in the standings,” general manager Jon Wallace told The Athletic prior to Monday’s victory. “I think we did a good job of giving ourselves a cushion at the beginning of the season, knowing that the unexpected can happen. But, at the same time, we have to face the reality that we might take a slight fall. But I think we have enough guys and enough leaders in that locker room to hold the line, until we get back to full strength.”
Here’s more on the Nuggets:
- The Nuggets are feeling good about Jokic’s recovery from a hyperextended knee and are hopeful that he’ll be back in action by the All-Star break at the latest, team sources tell Jones.
- Braun and Gordon were on “pretty strict” minutes limits when they returned on Sunday, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Braun played 24 minutes in his first game back from a sprained ankle, while Gordon came off the bench and logged 21 minutes after being out since November 21 with a strained hamstring. Restrictions will likely remain in place for a few games as Braun and Gordon work their way back to full strength.
- Jamal Murray missed a game for just the second time this season on Monday, with an injury designation of a left ankle sprain. He has been playing through “mild pain” in that ankle in recent weeks, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “He’s played limitless minutes. … It’s not just the minutes guys play. It’s what they’re doing in those minutes,” Adelman said. “The responsibility has been crazy. His ankle flared up. Even (Sunday), I thought he fought through it. The fourth quarter, I kept thinking I was gonna get him out, and we kept kind of staying in the game. So if anybody needed (a game off), it was him. Not to mention all the other small injuries for that guy. He’s beat up.”
- After making just two garbage-time appearances in Denver’s first 31 games of the season, Holmes has appeared in each of the past five, making three starts and averaging 18.0 minutes per night. Holmes, a first-round pick in 2024 who missed his entire rookie season due to an Achilles tear, spoke to Spencer Davies of RG.org about finally getting an opportunity to play NBA minutes.
Nuggets’ Gordon, Braun Will Return Sunday; MPJ Active For Nets
1:37 pm: Gordon and Braun will return to action on Sunday, according to DNVR Nuggets (Twitter link).
12:47 pm: The Nuggets could get a pair of starters back for Sunday’s contest at Brooklyn. They’ve listed Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun as questionable for the matchup with the Nets (Twitter link).
Both players are still considered questionable less than two hours away from tip-off, per the NBA’s latest injury report.
Gordon has been out since November 21 after suffering a Grade 2 right hamstring strain. The veteran forward was off to a terrific start to the 2025/26 campaign, averaging 20.3 points and 6.3 rebounds on elite efficiency (.536/.452/.879 shooting splits) while playing strong defense through his first 12 games (30.4 minutes per contest).
Fourth-year wing Braun, meanwhile, has been on the shelf since Nov. 12 due to a sprained left ankle. The former first-round pick averaged 11.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.9 APG and 0.9 SPG on .484/.214/.778 shooting in 10 healthy games this season (30.8 MPG). He’s another key member of the rotation, particularly on defense, where he’s frequently tasked with slowing down the opposing team’s best perimeter scorer.
Cassidy Hubbarth of NBA on Prime reported a couple days ago that both players could return at some point during Denver’s road trip, which concludes Wednesday in Boston.
As for the Nets, leading scorer Michael Porter Jr. will return to action Sunday after missing the past two games because of an illness, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link). The 27-year-old forward said he’ll have a little extra motivation when he faces his former team, which traded him to Brooklyn over the summer.
“I definitely use everything I can as motivation,” Porter said. “It was just so much noise about me as a player…I knew if it was healthy coming here I’d be able to change the narrative around me.”
Nuggets Notes: Gordon, Braun, Jokic, Holmes, More
NBA on Prime reporter Cassidy Hubbarth gave encouraging injury updates on three Nuggets starters during Friday’s contest at Cleveland, tweets Ryan Blackburn of Mile High Sports.
According to Blackburn, Hubbarth said Aaron Gordon (hamstring) and Christian Braun (ankle) are still experiencing some soreness, but both players could return at some point during the team’s road trip, which ends next Wednesday in Boston. Hubbarth also said the Nuggets have been “pleasantly surprised” by the progress Nikola Jokic has made in his recovery from a left knee injury, Blackburn adds.
Here’s more on the Nuggets, who are very shorthanded at the moment:
- The Nuggets are only carrying 14 players on their standard roster and could theoretically sign a player to a 10-day contract starting Monday. When asked about that possibility prior to Friday’s game, head coach David Adelman said the team would weigh its options but expressed some skepticism about it happening. “Right now, we are who we are,” he said (Twitter link via Bennett Durando of The Denver Post). Durando hears the Nuggets are unlikely to add a player to a 10-day deal, which isn’t surprising — they’re currently about $400K over the luxury tax line and will likely look to move below that threshold ahead of the trade deadline to avoid the repeater tax.
- With four starters and their backup center out, Adelman said the Nuggets would be learning on the fly Friday, tweets Durando. “This will sound crazy, but we’re playing an NBA game in an hour and a half, and that’s our scrimmage to see, like, where we’re at and how we’re gonna play. I can’t put in 19 new offensive things and change our whole defensive scheme,” Adelman said.
- Second-year big man DaRon Holmes II admitted he was gassed after playing 22 minutes in Wednesday’s win at Toronto, the first meaningful action he’s received to this point in his young career, Durando writes for The Denver Post. “He gives up the offensive rebounds. I didn’t see him put his head down. He just kept playing,” Adelman said. “And that’s the key in the NBA. You’re gonna have moments when you get embarrassed or somebody physically owns you, whatever it is. You’ve just gotta go to the next play. Be ready to make the next shot, make the appropriate decision with the ball, take care of it. And he did that.” Holmes, a 2024 first-round pick who missed last season with a torn Achilles tendon, received his first career start Friday.
Nikola Jokic Out At Least Four Weeks With Knee Injury
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic will be reevaluated in four weeks after being diagnosed with a hyperextension of his left knee, the team announced today (Twitter link).
Jokic injured his knee during Monday’s game against Miami. On Tuesday, Đorđe Matić of Meridian Sport, an outlet based in Jokic’s home country of Serbia, reported that the big man had hyperextended his knee but appeared to have avoided a more serious injury. The update from the club confirms as much.
Although the absence projects to be the longest of Jokic’s NBA career, the Nuggets are breathing a sigh of relief, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), since testing confirmed that the three-time MVP’s knee ligaments are intact.
Still, there’s no guarantee that Jokic will be able to return at the four-week mark when he’s reevaluated. Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (Twitter link) suggests the 30-year-old could end up missing closer to six weeks.
The Nuggets’ depth will be tested in a major way during that time. The team was already down three starters, with Aaron Gordon (hamstring), Christian Braun (ankle), and Cameron Johnson (knee) all on the shelf. With Jokic now out too, guard Jamal Murray is the only opening-night starter still standing.
Head coach David Adelman said over the weekend that Gordon and Braun have a chance to return during the Nuggets’ current road trip, which runs through January 7 (Twitter link via Katy Winge of Altitude TV). Until then, Murray figures to be joined in the starting five by Peyton Watson, Spencer Jones, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Jonas Valanciunas.
The Nuggets are off to a 22-10 start this season and are well positioned in the Western Conference postseason picture at the moment, but they don’t have a ton of room for error as they attempt to hang onto a guaranteed (ie. top-six) playoff seed. The No. 6 Timberwolves currently trail Denver by just a game-and-a-half, while the No. 7 Suns are three games back of the Nuggets.
Although Jokic and the Nuggets will be more concerned about their record and their position in the standings, it’s also worth noting that this injury could cost the superstar center his award eligibility this season. In order to meet the 65-game requirement and qualify for end-of-season awards, Jokic can’t miss more than 17 games — Denver will play 18 times between now and the end of January.
If Jokic isn’t award-eligible, his streak of seven consecutive All-NBA appearances would come to an end, as would a stretch of five straight years in the top two in Most Valuable Player voting.
Jokic has been putting up historic numbers so far this season, averaging a career-high 29.6 points per game while leading the NBA with 12.2 rebounds and 11.0 assists per contest. His shooting line is an outrageous .605/.435/.853 and the Nuggets have a +12.3 net rating when he’s on the court, compared to a -6.3 mark when he’s not.
Nuggets Notes: Jokic, Johnson, Gordon, Braun
The Nuggets got a historic performance Thursday from Nikola Jokic to pull out their latest memorable game against the rival Timberwolves, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Jokic posted the first 55-15-15 stat line in NBA history, finishing with 56 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists in the overtime victory. Jokic called it a “good game,” but some of his teammates were more effusive.
“We’re watching history. … This is something that doesn’t happen again,” Peyton Watson said. “We will never see anything like this again. And I think everybody needs to be really paying attention. … We can’t continue to just dismiss what this guy does on a night-to-night basis. Bro, it’s unbelievable.”
Jokic shot 15-of-21 from the field and 22-of-23 from the foul line and made several huge plays to salvage a game that featured numerous momentum swings in the closing minutes. Denver squandered a 15-point lead with five minutes left to go in regulation and couldn’t hold onto a six-point advantage in the final 35 seconds as Anthony Edwards forced the extra session with a late three-pointer from the corner. The Wolves scored the first nine points of overtime, but the Nuggets closed the game on a 27-14 run over the final three minutes.
“It sounds crazy, but I didn’t think we were completely out of it, just because the way that game was and the shot-making and the star players doing what they did,” Denver coach David Adelman said. “You just felt like there were more moments to the game, if we could just ourselves back into it.”
There’s more from Denver:
- The Nuggets are relieved that Cameron Johnson‘s knee injury is only a bone bruise with no structural damage, but it still leaves them down three starters, Durando states in a separate story. Johnson is projected to miss at least four-to-six weeks, forcing Adelman to make adjustments to his lineups. “You have an intelligent ‘guesstimation’ of a new rotation to play. I think you have to give it a couple of games. Let’s just say it doesn’t go well today; you can’t just say, ‘OK, well let’s scrap it,’” Adelman said. “So yeah, we’ll just reinvent ourselves as we go here. I’m looking at this as just another chapter in the season, you know what I mean? It’s what it is. I feel for Cam, man. I just felt like his trajectory was just going up. Not the stats; just how he was playing. He was a high-minute guy for us, helping bridge the gap between the starters and the second unit.”
- Aaron Gordon, who has made just one brief appearance since November 17 due to a strained right hamstring, and Christian Braun, who has been sidelined since November 12 with a sprained left ankle, are both making progress toward returning, Durando adds. Adelman watched Thursday as both players went through on-court workouts, but he stated the team will use caution in bringing them back. “It’s one of those things that just because other guys got hurt, you can’t hurry their process,” he said. “So we just have to do what we have to do right now. And I like the group we have. All year long, there’s been no crazy ups and downs emotionally. We’ve just gotta continue to do what we’re doing.”
- Bobby Marks of ESPN examines the Nuggets’ options to deal with their depleted roster. They have been carrying an open roster spot, and Marks notes that they could wait until January 5 to add a player when 10-day contracts begin. Denver also has trade exceptions worth $6.9MM and $5.4MM that could be used in a potential deal. However, the team is short on draft capital, with no first-round picks to trade after sending one to Brooklyn to acquire Johnson and only two second-rounders to deal. The Nuggets are also hovering right around the tax line and may be reluctant to add much salary to their books.