Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman has given an update on his team’s injured players, including Nikola Jokić. Here is where the All-Star big man and his teammates stand on their paths to recovery.
Denver HC David Adelman Shares Latest on Nikola Jokić and Team Injuries
Since Dec. 29, the Nuggets have been without Jokić after he hyperextended his left knee. While his injury is the most notable, it is not the only one the team has dealt with or continues to manage.
Currently, forward Cam Johnson and center Jonas Valančiūnas are also sidelined. Johnson last appeared on Dec. 23 and has since been out with a bone bruise to his right knee. Meanwhile, Valančiūnas has not played all month because of a right calf strain.
Adelman provided an update on all three injuries ahead of the Nuggets’ game against the Washington Wizards on Thursday, and for now, the outlook is mixed.
Of the trio, Valančiūnas appears closest to returning. According to the update, he feels good and only needs to pass medical tests before being cleared to play. Johnson seems the furthest away, as he has yet to participate in contact drills. As for Jokić, the only description given was that he is “up and down.”
David Adelman on the @nuggets injuries:
Cam Johnson hasn’t done contact. Still a ways.
Jonas feels good but has to pass tests.
Jokic is “up and down”.
Looks like Jonas is closest to returning.
— Vic Lombardi (@VicLombardi) January 21, 2026
While “up and down” offers little clarity, it suggests that Jokić’s return timeline has not yet been determined and that his recovery may not be progressing as smoothly as hoped.
Initially, the expectation was that he would need at least a month to return. Just over three weeks have passed since then, meaning he remains within that projected window.
In addition to Jokić, Valančiūnas, and Johnson, Christian Braun has also been dealing with an injury. He has missed six straight games and will remain out against the Washington Wizards on Thursday.
Before this latest absence, Braun had already missed 23 consecutive games from Nov. 15 to Jan. 2 because of an ankle injury. According to Braun, the ligaments in his ankle were torn, and that same issue continues to keep him out of the lineup.
Despite the rash of injuries, the Nuggets have managed to stay competitive without their star center. In the 12 games they have played without the Siberian big man, Denver is 6-6, including a four-game winning streak from Jan. 11 to 17.
Siberian, meaning Serbian.