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NBA rumors: Nuggets slapped with harsh trade reality after Nikola Jokic injury
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- NBA rumors: Nuggets slapped with harsh trade reality after Nikola Jokic injury
NBA rumors: Nuggets slapped with harsh trade reality after Nikola Jokic injury appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Denver Nuggets navigated what could have been a disastrous transition period last season after firing both general manager Calvin Booth and head coach Michael Malone in April. They pushed the Oklahoma City Thunder to a Game 7 in the Western Conference Semifinals and ended their campaign with some needed momentum. They then answered fans' pleas in the offseason, making multiple moves to upgrade their feeble bench. Those efforts are now being tested to the maximum degree.
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Denver is down four starters, none more important than the man many believed was marching toward his fourth MVP Award. Nikola Jokic will miss at least four weeks with a hyperextended knee, putting the franchise in a vulnerable spot heading into 2026. Despite sitting in third place in the West with a 22-10 record, the Nuggets are only three games clear of the NBA Play-In picture. They can quickly slide down the standings without the hub of their offense.
Considering how aggressive the organization was leading into the 2025-26 campaign, fans might expect the front office to make a trade in response to Jokic's injury. Well, think again. ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel sums up Denver's troubling situation .
"You look at what's the path forward; there really is none because they don't have trade assets," he said on Clutch Scoops. "It's not like they're going to go out and make a drastic move because Jokic is hurt. If he was out for the season, that's a completely different story and argument to be had. But this is a four-to-six week window… So they're just going to push forward with their depth."
Siegel listed Zeke Nnaji as the only real "trade asset" the Nuggets have right now, but given the lack of success they had at trying to move him in the past, he does not anticipate a deal getting done this season. Denver must trust in the roster it has constructed and hope that Jamal Murray can thrive while Nikola Jokic , Aaron Gordon , Christian Braun and Cam Johnson all recover from their respective injuries.
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David Adelman filled in as interim head coach under uniquely distressing circumstances at the end of the 2024-25 campaign. He will be challenged once more this season. The Nuggets will count on their revamped bench to keep them at a respectable level in this time of adversity , starting with a New Year's Eve matchup versus the Toronto Raptors (20-14).
Related: Nuggets' Nikola Jokic to miss extended time with hyperextended knee injury
Related: Nuggets' Jamal Murray opens up about what Nikola Jokic means to Denver after injury
