DENVER — The Nuggets will be without starting forward Aaron Gordon for at least one month after an MRI revealed a Grade 2 strain in his right hamstring, the team said. Gordon will be re-evaluated in four to six weeks.
The setback compounds Denver’s injury issues. Guard Christian Braun is already expected to miss a minimum of four more weeks with a sprained left ankle.
Gordon, 28, had just rejoined the lineup Friday in Houston after sitting out Wednesday’s game for bilateral hamstring management. Three minutes into the contest, he pulled up and injured the opposite hamstring from the Grade 2 strain he played through during last season’s playoffs.
Before going down, the nine-year veteran was averaging 20.3 points and 6.3 rebounds while shooting 53.6% from the field, 45.2% from three and 87.9% at the line over 12 games. Denver is plus-20.7 points per 100 possessions with him on the court and breaks even without him.
Head coach Michael Malone is experimenting with lineups in Gordon’s absence, including extended dual-big looks featuring Nikola Jokić and Jonas Valančiūnas. “Sometimes it’s good. Sometimes it’s really bad,” Jokić said. “We need more minutes together.”
Pistons
DETROIT — Guard Jaden Ivey played his first regular-season game since Jan. 1 and helped the Pistons push their winning streak to 12 on Saturday night against Milwaukee. The third-year guard posted 10 points, two assists and a steal while missing only one shot in 15 minutes.
Ivey, 22, underwent two surgeries during his layoff — repair of a fractured left fibula late last season and right knee surgery in October. “So much gratitude to be out there again,” he said afterward.
Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff used all 13 active players in the victory and said he plans to keep a 12-man rotation while evaluating the roster. “Guys are going to have an opportunity because they’ve earned it,” he noted.
Early 2026 Draft Outlook
Draft analyst Sam Vecenie of The Athletic reported that many scouts currently rank Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa ahead of Cameron Boozer for the projected No. 1 spot in 2026. Evaluators want to see continued growth in Boozer’s shot creation and finishing at the rim, though no long-term concerns have been flagged.
Source: Hoops Wire
