DENVER — Jan. 2, 2026 — The Denver Nuggets may soon regain several key pieces. During Friday’s game in Cleveland, NBA on Prime reporter Cassidy Hubbarth said on the broadcast that Aaron Gordon (left hamstring strain) and Christian Braun (right ankle sprain) remain sore but could return at some point on the team’s current road swing, which wraps up next Wednesday in Boston. Hubbarth also noted the club has been “pleasantly surprised” by the progress Nikola Jokic is making as he rehabs a left knee injury.
Roster flexibility limited
The Nuggets are carrying 14 players on standard contracts and, beginning Monday, could sign a free agent to a 10-day deal. Head coach David Adelman said before tip-off in Cleveland that the front office will consider its options but indicated no immediate move is expected. Denver is roughly $400,000 above the luxury-tax threshold and would prefer to drop below that line ahead of the trade deadline to avoid repeater penalties.
Short-handed lineup
With four starters and their backup center sidelined, Adelman acknowledged the club is improvising. “We’re playing an NBA game in an hour and a half, and that’s our scrimmage to see where we’re at and how we’re going to play,” he told reporters.
Holmes earns first start
Second-year center DaRon Holmes II logged 22 minutes in Wednesday’s win at Toronto—his first extended run of the season—and received his first career start on Friday. The 2024 first-round pick missed all of last season with a torn Achilles tendon. Adelman praised Holmes’ resilience, saying the rookie “just kept playing” despite surrendering several offensive rebounds.
Source: Hoops Rumors
