The Denver Nuggets made a point to upgrade their depth this summer. That decision has paid big-time dividends as the Nuggets have lost 150+ player games to injuries, with Jamal Murray being the latest player projected to miss significant time due to injury.

Are Injuries the Biggest Threat To Derail Nuggets 2026 Title Run, And How Long Will Jamal Murray Be Out & How Will They Replace Him?

Denver entered Friday night’s game against the New York Knicks with its projected 2025-26 starting lineup intact for the first time in four months, as Aaron Gordon returned after sitting out the previous 17 games. However, the health of that unit didn’t even last a full half, as Murray was helped off the court late in the second quarter of the Nuggets’ 142-103 loss to the Knicks on Friday.

According to Bennett Durando of the Denver Post, Murray sprained his left ankle after stepping on Nikola Jokic’s foot while backpedaling on defense. Durando added that Murray limped to the locker room as he was helped off the court by teammates Peyton Watson and Jonas Valanciunas and didn’t return. 

Denver trailed New York 65-52 at halftime. However, the Knicks outscored the Nuggets 77-51 in the second half, shooting nearly 70% from the field and 12 of 16 from 3-point range. Murray finished the game with 12 points, on 5 of 10 shooting, three assists, and one block in 17 minutes. The Nuggets were outscored by 4 points when Murray was on the court and a minus-35 when Murray was off the floor.

The 39-point loss by Denver is a franchise-worst at home. However, Nuggets head coach David Adelman was insistent that Murray’s injury going down had nothing to do with the outcome.

“It was just because guys let go of it. They didn’t compete,” Adelman said. “I’d say from three minutes to go in the third quarter to all the way through the fourth, outside of DaRon Holmes, I’d say nobody really competed. So you don’t have to call a timeout. You just let it play out. And that’s what happens in professional basketball. … They played well, and we sucked.”

© Ron Chenoy, Imagn Images

Injuries Have Kept The Nuggets from realizing their full potential

With the loss, Denver fell to 39-25 on the season. The Nuggets have lost 10 of their last 18 and sit in fifth place in the Western Conference.  The Nuggets are just one-half game in front of the Los Angeles Lakers and two-and-a-half games ahead of seventh-place Phoenix despite starting the season with 20 wins in their first 26 contests.  Additionally, they are just 17-18 in games against teams with a .500 or better record.

Denver has the league’s top offense with an offensive rating of 120. The Nuggets are the top-shooting team in the NB, though they have the ninth-best scoring margin (+3.8) because they have struggled defensively. The Nuggets are 22nd in defensive rating at 116.3, ranking in the bottom half of the league in field goal percentage and 3-pointers allowed.

Injuries have played a huge role in the Nuggets’ defensive struggles, with Gordon, Jokic, and Watson missing 73 combined games. Despite the Nuggets’ improved depth, the Nuggets’ bench ranks in the bottom two-thirds of the league, as Adelman has had to use 24 different starting lineups—the franchise’s most since 2016-17.  The Nuggets are 8-3 in games that have their projected starting lineup together this year: Murray, Christian Braun, Gordon, Johnson, and Jokic.

Frontcourt Depth A Problem for Nuggets

A huge problem for the Nuggets has been instability at the forward spots. Adelman has had to give extended minutes to Braun and Valancianus while also using small-ball lineups because Johnson, Gordon, and Jones have all missed time simultaneously. Without Gordon and Watson, opponents have gotten to the rim more often — the Nuggets allowing opponents to connect on 67.2% of their rim attempts on the season, fourth-worst in the league — as Jokic has played dropped defense more often.

Watson has been out since February 7 with a hamstring injury, though he could return soon. ClutchPoints’Brett Siegel reported that Watson has been amping up his basketball activities recently and could potentially be back next week.

How Long Will Jamal Murray Miss and What Does It Mean For The Nuggets?

Murray is slated to get tests done on the ankle. Ankle injuries can be very tricky, with a wide range of symptoms that can be missed. Braun missed 37 contests earlier this year due to a severe ankle injury with torn ligaments.  But Durando said the Nuggets were cautiously optimistic after the game Friday that Murray had suffered a mild sprain.

“It sucks to see him go down,” Braun said after the game. “But just for the team, it felt like we got all the guys back, and pregame I thought our vibe was really good. We were excited to see AG get back and the starting lineup play together again. And it seems like we played, what, 12 minutes? Or whatever it was together. So it sucks for ‘Mal. It sucks to watch.”

While nothing has been established waboutMurray’s timeline to return since the results have not been released, the 29-year-old will miss time. If the ankle injury is truly only a mild sprain, Murray is likely to miss one to three weeks of action. Since the Nuggets are off until Monday, when they travel to Oklahoma City, Murray could only miss three games if he returns in a week. However, if it is more severe than a mild sprain, he could be out until the playoffs.

 Tyus Jones Likely To Move In Starting Lineup, If Murray Misses Time

Murray, named as an All-Star for the first time in his career this year, is having a career season. He averages 25.5 points, 7.2 assists, 4.3 rebounds with shooting splits of 48.4/43.1/87.6. Additionally, he has compiled a personal-high 15 double-doubles. Murray has a history of ankle injuries, including a few small ones this season.

Denver is 4-1 without Murray this season. But the Nuggets have just a +0.2 scoring margin as they have struggled offensively in these games (107.8 points). But, they have been much better on the defensive end (107.6).

Veteran point guard Tyus Jones, who signed with the Nuggets a few days ago after being released by Dallas, is likely to move into the starting lineup if Murray misses time. Jones has struggled in his two games with the Nuggets, totaling 18 minutes. However, he was signed just for these situations.

Jones is the only true point guard that the Nuggets have behind Murray. He has started over 200 NBA games and is an exceptional facilitator who doesn’t turn the ball over, owning a career 4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Jalen Pickett is also a viable starting option. The 26-year-old has started 18 games this year and 22 for his career, but he is not the distributor that Jones is. Picket has been more efficient when coming off the bench, although neither player is great defensively. Bruce Brown Jr. is also a capable basketball handler.