Denver Nuggets

Denver Nuggets star big man Nikola Jokic's status for Friday's game against the Dallas Mavericks is uncertain after his knee collision in Tuesday's loss to the Utah Jazz.

But it appears that the reigning NBA MVP avoided major injury. The Denver Post's Mike Singer reported Wednesday that Jokic is experiencing some soreness, but "there's nothing structurally wrong."

Singer added that he expects Jokic to be listed as questionable for Friday's game with a right knee contusion, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he sits considering the conservative nature of the Nuggets.

Jokic left Tuesday's game after he banged knees with Jazz center Rudy Gobert in the second quarter. He poured in 24 points, six rebounds and six assists while making eight of nine shots in 15 minutes before his injury. Denver head coach Michael Malone said he made the decision not to let Jokic reenter the game.

"What I have learned about Nikola is, if you leave it up to Nikola, he is going to play every game," Malone told reporters Tuesday. So sometimes I have to make decisions for him, and it makes no sense for me when he told me it feels a little weak for him to play in the second half."

Through four games, the Nuggets are currently 2-2. Jokic's numbers are pretty close to his MVP production, as he leads Denver with averages of 26.8 points, 13.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game.

Jokic has had to shoulder more of the offensive load this season as the Nuggets are without star guard Jamal Murray, who tore his ACL in April.

If Jokic is unable to play Friday, it would likely mean more minutes for veteran forwards Jeff Green and JaMychal Green. Will Barton is the team's second-leading scorer at 16.3 points. Michael Porter Jr., who averaged 19.0 points last season, will also have to pick up his play. He's off to a slow start this year with 11.5 points per game.     

The Utah Jazz remain undefeated after a 122-110 win over the Denver Nuggets.

Nikola Jokic was off to a dominant start with 24 points in 15 minutes until suffering a knee contusion that ruled him out of the game. The Nuggets stayed competitive without him, but they couldn't overcome the Jazz depth Tuesday at Vivint Arena.

Utah trailed early in the fourth quarter until a 19-4 run helped the home team take control of the game.

Donovan Mitchell helped close out the victory with clutch plays down the stretch:

in for a bucket + the foul pic.twitter.com/iLjMymZL5E

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 27, 2021

Rudy Gobert finished with 23 points and 16 rebound as one of seven Utah players in double figures as the team improved to 3-0 on the year. The squad doesn't appear to be slowing down in 2021-22 after finishing last season with the best record in the NBA. 

The Nuggets (2-2) couldn't keep up in the early battle of Western Conference contenders.

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Notable Performances

Nikola Jokic, C, DEN: 24 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds

Aaron Gordon, PF, DEN: 20 points, 7 rebounds, 9-13 FG

Will Barton, SF, DEN: 21 points, 4 rebounds

Donovan Mitchell, SG, UTA: 22 points, 6 assists

Rudy Gobert, C, UTA: 23 points, 16 rebounds, 1 block

Jordan Clarkson, PG, UTA: 19 points, 3 rebounds

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Aaron Gordon Flashes After Nikola Jokic Injury

The beginning of the game was what we have come to expect from Jokic, who was putting up MVP-type numbers in the first half alone.

The center had 24 points in just 15 minutes matching up against the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and was nearly impossible to defend:

Good luck stopping this pic.twitter.com/LMgmrmzXPv

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) October 27, 2021

Now this is a dime-dropping 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 pic.twitter.com/ehBwDf6rJl

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) October 27, 2021

Jokic is on one tonight.

— Michael Spencer (@MichaelCBS4) October 27, 2021

The only thing that slowed him down was a knee injury, which eventually ruled him out of the game. The positive is that he seemed ready to return in the second half before a cautious approach from the coaching staff:

After a talk with coach Malone, Jokic went back into the tunnel. https://t.co/yqtmwIC8Ld

— Ryan Miller (@millerjryan) October 27, 2021

While Jokic's status will be the important storyline going forward, the Nuggets will be encouraged by the play of Aaron Gordon in his absence.

The forward hadn't scored more than a 12 in a game this year until breaking out Tuesday.

That's tough 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/ut1tdOtK0S

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) October 27, 2021

Aaron Gordon still on fire — 19p on 9-10 FGs. Not even Gobert has really been able to slow him down, as he's getting into the midrange now and hitting short fadeaways. Jazz lead 77-76 w/6:37 left 2Q.

— tribjazz (@tribjazz) October 27, 2021

The Aaron Gordon show

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) October 27, 2021

Gordon slowed down in the fourth quarter and the Nuggets didn't have enough players to pick up the slack, finishing with just 13 bench points. 

If Jokic misses time, however, Gordon will be a key part of keeping the team afloat. 

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Role Players Thrive in Jazz Win

Rudy Gobert earned his third-straight double-double and Donovan Mitchell reached 20 for the second game in a row, but it wasn't the best performance from either of the team's stars.

Gobert was quiet offensively for much of the game and had just eight field-goal attempts while Mitchell finished 1-of-9 from three-point range.

The Jazz still had plenty of help from the rest of the rotation, including strong games from Jordan Clarkson and Bojan Bogdanovic:

Jordan Clarkson weaves his way to an easy two points ✅ pic.twitter.com/3kyPsFzpDz

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) October 27, 2021

we heard the people want bogey content pic.twitter.com/X9bk7JwFbY

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 27, 2021

the pass 😍
the triple 💦#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/u73jVlzqbt

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 27, 2021

Clarkson outscored the Nuggets' entire bench while finishing plus-19 on the court.

Hassan Whiteside also made his presence felt with 10 points and four rebounds before being ejected in a late-game scuffle.

The Jazz have a lot of weapons for opponents to defend, helping the team succeed even if the stars aren't carrying the offense.

When Mitchell is making his shots, Utah will be extremely difficult to beat.

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What's Next?

The Jazz begin a three-game road trip on Thursday with a matchup against the Houston Rockets. The Nuggets are scheduled to host the Dallas Mavericks on Friday.  

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic was ruled out of Tuesday's game against the Utah Jazz after suffering a knee contusion.

Jokic went down after colliding knees with Jazz center Rudy Gobert, and he did not return to the game. He had 24 points, six rebounds and six assists in just 15 minutes before exiting.

The reigning NBA MVP has played at least 72 games during every year of his NBA career.

Jokic and Jamal Murray are the pillars around which the Nuggets are built, and they're already without Murray as he recovers from a torn ACL. Without Jokic, their offense loses its best shot creator and one of the most skilled big men of this generation. JaMychal Green will not be able to replicate much of what Jokic does on the floor.

If Jokic misses extended time, the Nuggets' postseason seeding may wind up taking a hit.

Veteran NBA guard Lance Stephenson was selected 13th overall by the Grand Rapids Gold in the first round of the 2021 NBA G League draft on Saturday.

The Gold are the G League affiliate of the Denver Nuggets, and they are set to give Stephenson an opportunity to earn his way back into the NBA.

Stephenson, 31, is a nine-year NBA vet who has played for the Indiana Pacers, Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers.

Several notable players were selected in the first round of Saturday's draft, including fellow NBA veteran guard Brandon Knight, Dwyane Wade's son Zaire Wade, and LiAngelo Ball, who is the brother of NBA guards Lonzo and LaMelo Ball.

Stephenson was a unique pick in that he has 508 NBA regular-season games and 57 NBA playoff games to his credit.

He most recently played in the NBA in 2018-19, when he averaged 7.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 three-pointers made while shooting 42.6 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from beyond the arc in 68 games for the Lakers.

Stephenson is best known for his initial stint with the Pacers from 2010 to 2014. He enjoyed the best season of his career in 2013-14 when he averaged a career-high 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists.

The Pacers reached the Eastern Conference Finals in both 2013 and 2014, falling to the Miami Heat both times. Stephenson was primarily tasked with guarding then-Heat star LeBron James in both series.

Overall, Stephenson owns averages of 8.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists during the regular season, and 11.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists during the postseason.

Since last playing in the NBA, Stephenson spent time with the Liaoning Flying Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association, averaging an impressive 26.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game in 29 contests in 2019-20.

The Nuggets have reached the playoffs in each of the past three seasons, and if they are once again contenders in the Western Conference this season, Stephenson could be a nice depth addition to the roster if he can earn a call-up from the G League.

Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. said he won't get the COVID-19 vaccine despite already contracting the virus twice.

"For me, I had COVID twice, I saw how my body reacted, and although the chances are slim with the vaccine, there's a chance you could have a bad reaction to it," Porter said, per Mike Singer of the Denver Post. "For me, I don't feel comfortable."

The NBA reportedly plans to install stricter protocols for unvaccinated players, including being separated from vaccinated teammates during travel. Shams Charania of The Athletic reported vaccinated players will not be tested regularly while unvaccinated players need two negative tests on game days.

The league is still falling short of creating a mandate to be vaccinated, which Porter supports:

My stance on the mandate is it definitely shouldn’t be a mandate. It should be everyone's decision. I see it both ways. If you want to get it because you feel more protected and you feel safer, and it's protecting people around you, get it. That's good for you. But if you feel like, 'Oh, for me, I don't feel safe getting it, then don't get it.'

Other NBA players, including Bradley Beal, Jonathan Isaac and Andrew Wiggins have said they have not yet received a vaccination. Kyrie Irving has not confirmed his status.

Porter is not the only unvaccinated player on the Nuggets, per Singer.

The 23-year-old had previously made headlines for discussing COVID-19 conspiracy theories on social media.

"Personally, I think the coronavirus is being used obviously for a bigger agenda," Porter said on Snapchat in July 2020, via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. "It's being used for population control in just terms of being able to control the masses of people. I mean, because of the virus the whole world is being controlled."

Porter has since tested positive for the virus but has chosen not to get vaccinated.

Denver will hope this doesn't lead to any missed time after the talented player recently signed a five-year, $207 million extension, via Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

The 6'10" forward is coming off a breakout 2020-21 campaign in which he averaged 19.0 points per game, more than double his previous season's average of 9.3. Porter added 7.3 rebounds per game last season while shooting 44.5 percent from three-point range.  

Michael Porter Jr. is staying with the only NBA team he has ever known for the foreseeable future.

The Denver Nuggets and the forward agreed to a new five-year max contract extension that could be worth as much as $207 million on Monday, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Porter Jr., deal is worth $172M unless he reaches the designated max criteria and makes one of the three All-NBA teams this season.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 27, 2021

This comes after the Nuggets announced in December 2020 that they picked up the option on his initial contract for the 2021-22 season. He was also scheduled for restricted free agency during the summer of 2022 until reaching this agreement.

It isn't particularly surprising that Denver signed Porter to a new deal, as president of basketball operations Tim Connelly suggested it would be a priority after the team lost to the Phoenix Suns in the second round of the 2021 playoffs.

"Connelly said it's been the team's MO to sign players early regarding MPJ's early extension," Mike Singer of the Denver Post tweeted in June. "Said they'll sit down with his representation. Intimated it was the goal to get something done earlier rather than later."

The Nuggets took something of a chance on Porter when they selected him with the 14th overall pick of the 2018 NBA draft because of an injury history that cost him the vast majority of his one collegiate season at Missouri.

He also sat out what would have been his rookie campaign because of back surgery, but he showed flashes of why Denver took him in the first round in 2019-20 by averaging 9.3 points per game behind 42.2 percent shooting from three-point range. He also averaged double figures during a playoff run to the Western Conference Finals.

Still, it wasn't until the 2020-21 campaign that Porter broke through as a potential star in the making.

He averaged 19.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while shooting 44.5 percent from deep. He also assumed much more responsibility in the offense after Jamal Murray tore his ACL on April 12, and he scored more than 20 points 12 times and 30 or more four times in the next 15 games.

Porter also poured in 25 or more points in three of the six games during Denver's first-round playoff win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

There is plenty to like about this deal from the Nuggets' perspective, as the Missouri product is just 23 years old and an ideal complement to Nikola Jokic and Murray. He can take advantage of the space created by the attention those two draw with his outside shooting and is a matchup problem who can pull opposing power forwards out of the lane and create more operating space for Jokic.

Porter has a sky-high ceiling, and the Nuggets made sure it will be with them if he reaches it.

The Denver Nuggets and forward Aaron Gordon agreed to a four-year, $92 million extension on Tuesday, per Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic.

Klutch Sports' Calvin Andrews, Gordon's agent, relayed the news to Charania.

The deal also includes a 2025-26 player option, per Charania. As for the yearly parameters, Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype broke that down.

Gordon has $1M in unlikely incentives on his current deal, which is probably where the additional $4M comes in on the reported amount.

— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) September 14, 2021

Entering this offseason, Gordon had one year and $16,409,091 remaining on a four-year, $84 million contract that he signed with the Orlando Magic in 2018.

The NBA salary cap for the 2021-22 season is set at $112.414 million. The latest update from HoopsHype had Denver with $134,092,669 committed to its 2021-22 cap, meaning that Denver is over the mark by $21,678,669.

Charania reported that the 2022-23 cap will be at $119 million. Denver had $103,668,890 committed to its 2022-23 cap before the Gordon deal, per HoopsHype. With Gordon's deal, they'd be at $123,368,890, or $4,368,890 over the cap.

The books look to be cleared up significantly in 2023-24. Jamal Murray ($33,833,400), Gordon ($21,300,000) and Monte Morris ($9,800,926) are the only significant commitments to Denver's cap that year. 

However, the Nuggets will assuredly want to re-sign reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, whose current deal expires following the 2022-23 season. He's eligible for a massive supermax deal in 2022, per ESPN's Bobby Marks.

The Nikola Jokic super max extension in 2022 is projected to be the largest contract in NBA history.

*2023-24: $42.6M
2024-25: $44.9M
2025-26: $48.2M
2026-27: $51.5M
2027-28: $54.8M

Total of $241M

*Based on a salary cap of $121.5M

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) June 8, 2021

In addition, Michael Porter Jr. enters restricted free agency after the 2021-22 season. He just averaged 19.0 points on 54.2 percent shooting and 7.3 rebounds per game as a 22-year-old for a Nuggets team that finished third in the Western Conference.

Denver will also undoubtedly try to extend him as the team builds around a core four of Jokic, Murray, Gordon and Porter.

That gives Denver zero cap room going into the mid-2020s, and as Gozlan noted, the Nuggets would go over the 2022-23 luxury tax mark ($145 million, per Charania) if Porter re-re-signs with the team.

Denver isn’t in the luxury tax yet in 2022-23, I’ve got them roughly $19M below with Gordon’s first-year salary. An extension for Michael Porter Jr. will put them over. https://t.co/VvUzSgaNCW

— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) September 14, 2021

The team will be at the mercy of improving its roster through the draft and various exceptions, such as the taxpayer mid-level exception.

However, Denver appears set to contend for its first Western Conference title (and perhaps its first NBA championship in franchise history) provided this core gets locked down. The Nuggets would have a multiyear championship window led by a superstar in Jokic, a clutch guard in Murray and the sweet-shooting Porter. 

That's in addition to a fantastic fit at forward in Gordon, who significantly helped Denver down the stretch last year after Murray was lost for the year with a torn ACL.

The Denver Nuggets gave up Gary Harris, R.J. Hampton and a protected 2025 first-round pick to acquire Aaron Gordon during the 2020-21 season, and they reportedly made sure he will be with the team for the foreseeable future. 

Denver and Gordon agreed to a four-year, $92 million contract extension on Tuesday, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. It reportedly includes a player option for the 2025-26 season.

Prior to this news, the 2021-22 campaign was set to be the final one on Gordon's contract.

This is not a particularly surprising development, as Mike Singer of the Denver Post reported in August that there was "mutual optimism" regarding a contract extension for Gordon.

Denver turned heads when it traded Harris, Hampton and the draft pick to the Orlando Magic prior to the 2020-21 season's deadline, and it makes sense the team envisioned Gordon as a key part of its future alongside the core of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.

The forward averaged 10.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists a night in 25 regular-season games for Denver and then posted 11.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in the playoffs.

His ability to get out in transition and play above the rim all while shooting from the outside made him a matchup problem for opposing defenses, and he fit in nicely as a secondary option who could take advantage of the spacing created by playing alongside Jokic and Murray.

However, as Singer noted, he wasn't quite as effective of a fit after Murray went down with a torn ACL because it put more offensive responsibility on his shoulders.

At his best, Gordon is someone who can lead the defense with the versatility to defend multiple positions and the length and athleticism to cut off driving lanes. Opponents shot 3.2 percent worse overall and 5.6 percent worse within 10 feet of the basket when he guarded them in 2020-21, per NBA.com.

That defense will be all the more important on this new contract as the 25-year-old looks to help lead the Nuggets to the next step in the playoffs.

Denver reached the Western Conference Finals in 2020 and the second round last year but has one of the league's best cores in place as it looks to win a championship. Gordon will now be a part of that group for multiple years.

Michael Porter Jr. is scheduled for restricted free agency in 2022, but, to hear him tell it, he and the Denver Nuggets are working toward another deal.

"Everything is sounding great, in the direction that I'd like to be headed," Porter said, per Mike Singer of the Denver Post. "Nothing is set in stone, but everything is going smooth as far as that goes."

In December, the Nuggets picked up his option for the 2021-22 season.

What's more, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly told Singer in June the team prefers to sign players to extensions early in their deals and suggested Denver may look to do the same for Porter.

That shouldn't come as much of a surprise. After all, he is just 23 years old and has already established himself as a key piece of the team's core alongside Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.

His ability to shoot from the outside works particularly well given Jokic's excellent passing skills and how much attention the reigning MVP draws almost every time down the court.

There was a time when Porter was seen as a risk after the Nuggets selected him with the No. 14 pick in 2018, as he missed all but part of one game of his lone collegiate season at Missouri because of a back injury. That risk was only exacerbated when he missed his rookie season to recover from back surgery.

Instead, Porter looks like a promising young building block after he averaged 19.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while shooting 44.5 percent from deep during the 2020-21 season.

He was a primary reason Denver reached the second round of the playoffs and finished with the third-best record in the Western Conference last season. Perhaps the next time he takes the floor it will be with a new extension.

The Denver Nuggets and veteran forward Aaron Gordon have "mutual optimism" about putting pen to paper on a new contract, according to Mike Singer of the Denver Post.

Singer reported an agreement could be in place as early as this week and that one source posited Gordon could sign for two or three years with an average salary of around $20  million.

That range would match the four-year, $80 million extension he signed with the Orlando Magic, which is due to expire after the upcoming season.

Gordon averaged 10.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 25 regular-season games after joining the Nuggets ahead of the NBA trade deadline. The 25-year-old also put up 11.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in the playoffs, shooting 43.4 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from three-point territory in 10 appearances.

Singer noted how Jamal Murray's torn ACL had an adverse impact for Gordon. Beyond taking away Denver's primary playmaker in the backcourt, the 6'8" forward had to assume a bigger offensive role to compensate for Murray's absence.

In his third game with the Nuggets, Gordon dropped 14 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals in a 101-94 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. That's the kind of production the franchise will want to see from him when he's again playing alongside Murray, who scored a team-high 23 in that April 1 game.

The Nuggets also have to consider what they gave up for Gordon—Gary Harris, R.J. Hampton and a protected 2025 first-round pick—and how difficult it might be to sign a suitable replacement should he leave.

Despite having Murray and reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, Denver probably won't be in the hunt for the top free agents in 2022.

With Michael Porter Jr. eligible to become a restricted free agent, general manager Calvin Booth might be tying up a lot of money in the frontcourt and could have the organization approaching the luxury tax. Per Spotrac, the Nuggets are projected to have a total payroll of $169.6 million, which includes a combined $40.4 million in cap holds for Gordon and Porter.

But Denver can't afford to get cheap when it has an open championship window. And unless a better solution suddenly emerges, the team's best shot at a title comes with Gordon on the roster.