The Denver Nuggets are now two games deep into their five-game preseason slate-- with both of those meetings coming against the Utah Jazz, and going 1-1 thus far.
And there's a good bit around the Nuggets' roster to like based on how they've started their exhibition games. Outside of a minor hamstring injury to Spencer Jones , everyone's looked healthy, competitive, and on track for a better season than the one they just wrapped up in 2025-26.
Yet based on the early sample size of those two games, one name who already sticks out from those showings is Denver's 2024 first round pick DaRon Holmes-- and not exactly in a good way.
That's because, when looking at how this Nuggets rotation is shaping up to begin this new season, it seems like Holmes might already be struggling to find any route to a considerable role.
Just by looking into the Nuggets' minutes distribution in their second game of action against the Jazz , it was pretty clear how stuffed down the depth chart Holmes was compared to a few other frontcourt pieces.
Marvin Bagley took 14 minutes, Trevon Brazile took 16, and Zeke Nnaji got eight of them. Granted, this was all without Spencer Jones in the lineup, who's been sidelined for the past two games with a hamstring strain.
For Holmes, though, he was left with just eight ; tied for the lowest that anyone else in the Nuggets' lineup saw on Tuesday.
Sep 28, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Daron Holmes II (14) during media day at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
And on one hand, maybe this might not matter a ton. After all, it's just a preseason exhibition game where a lot can change between now and the start of the regular season.
But it also could be a reason for concern on Holmes' stock moving forward. The former first-round pick walked into this year as a bit of a make-or-break campaign, expecting to get some of his biggest and best opportunities since he returned from his Achilles injury at the start of last year.
Now, though, it seems as if Holmes isn't exactly in the Nuggets' rotation plans for this season-- or at least for their day one lineup.
If the season were to start today, you could expect Bagley to be the Nuggets' second-unit center, Spencer Jones to fill in as their backup four, and a combination of Holmes, Brazile, and Nnaji to be reserves on most nights.
Seeing Holmes gearing up to potentially be a non-factor in the rotation is significant on it's own. He was their first round pick just two summers ago, after all.
With that in mind, though, his lack of involvement certainly could play into the Nuggets' decision of opting whether or not to accept his fourth-year team option that'll be on the radar later this summer.
Holmes will be due a total of $5.5 million on that fourth-year team option if the Nuggets accept, or they could decline to do so and let him walk elsewhere.
And knowing just how strapped this Nuggets roster is for cash and overall cap flexibility, Holmes being a nightly DNP makes declining that option a whole lot easier in order to free up a bit of funds.
So for Holmes, these next few months will be pivotal for his future in not only Denver, but for the league as a whole. Another season of limited production where Holmes fails to really crack the rotation might just be what pushes the Nuggets over the edge to cut ties with him.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/nuggets/onsi as Nuggets May Already Have Writing on the Wall for DaRon Holmes' Future .
