10 Players Ruled Out for Nuggets vs. Jazz

The Denver Nuggets suffered a crushing loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, but have a quick turnaround as they travel to face the Utah Jazz on the second leg of a back-to-back on Monday night.

Unfortunately for Denver, injuries keep stacking up. With Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson still sidelined with hamstring strains, starting forward Cam Johnson left Sunday's game early with an ankle injury.

Nuggets rule out four players vs. Jazz

Feb 22, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson (23) dribbles upcourt against the Golden State Warriors in the third quarter at Chase Center. | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Not only are the Nuggets without Johnson, Gordon, and Watson on Monday night, but they will also be without Spencer Jones. That means they will be without each of their top four forwards, putting a huge dent in their depth. The Nuggets' full injury report:

Aaron Gordon - OUT (right hamstring strain)

Cam Johnson - OUT (right ankle inflammation)

Spencer Jones - OUT (right shoulder strain)

Peyton Watson - OUT (right hamstring strain)

The Nuggets' injuries are expected to lighten up soon, with Gordon and Watson potentially returning within the next week or so. However, for now, they will continue to deal with multiple key absences, but that is nothing new for them.

With four key forwards sidelined for Monday's game, the Nuggets will need guys like Julian Strawther, Bruce Brown, and Zeke Nnaji to step up to fill these holes, but they should be relieved to look across the board to see all of the absences Utah is dealing with.

Jazz rule out six key players

Feb 5, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) dribbles against the Atlanta Hawks in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Not only are the Jazz sitting near the bottom of the NBA standings with an 18-42 record on an active five-game losing streak, but they are also dealing with a plethora of costly injuries. Walker Kessler, Jaren Jackson Jr., Jusuf Nurkic, and Vince Williams are all out for the rest of the season, while All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen is sidelined for a couple of weeks with a hip injury. The Jazz's full injury report:

Jaren Jackson Jr. - OUT (left knee injury recovery)

Walker Kessler - OUT (left shoulder injury recovery)

Kevin Love - OUT (rest)

Lauri Markkanen - OUT (right hip impingement)

Jusuf Nurkic - OUT (nose injury recovery)

Vince Williams Jr. - OUT (left knee injury management)

The Jazz will be significantly shorthanded for Monday's game, but similar to the Nuggets, it is nothing they are not used to. Even with some of their stars out, the Jazz have young guys like Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, Brice Sensabaugh, Kyle Filipowski, and Isaiah Collier who could make things difficult for the Nuggets.

However, on paper, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray should have no trouble against this weakened Jazz defense.

It counts the same

Feb 11, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman gestures in the first quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Ball Arena. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Nuggets head coach David Adelman keeps hammering the idea that every game counts the same. Just because they lost consecutive games to the OKC Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves should not change their approach to the Jazz game. If anything, they should try harder.

After Sunday's loss, Adelman explained how a win against the Jazz counts the exact same as a win over the Timberwolves would have. As they head into Monday's game in Salt Lake City, it does not matter who the opponent is, as long as they come out with a win.

The Nuggets and Jazz are set to tip off at 7:00 p.m. MT in Utah on Monday, as Denver aims to snap a two-game skid.