8 Starters Listed on Nuggets vs. Spurs Injury Report

The last day of the 2025-26 NBA regular season is here, and the Denver Nuggets are certainly ready to end this rollercoaster tenure and get into the playoffs. The Nuggets have had some of the league's worst injury luck this season, and heading into their season finale against the San Antonio Spurs, they are making sure it does not get worse.

Similar to what they did in their last outing against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Nuggets are letting their starters get some rest before the postseason. While the Spurs are not going to that extreme, they might ultimately decide to rest some of their stars as well.

Nuggets list all five starters on injury report

Apr 6, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) after the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Ball Arena. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The Nuggets played without all five starters on Friday, but managed to pick up a win over the Thunder, who also rested all of their key players. Now, they are doing the same for the finale. The Nuggets have ruled out every starter except for Nikola Jokic, who has been listed as questionable. Key bench players in Tim Hardaway Jr., Peyton Watson, and Spencer Jones have also been ruled out.

The Nuggets' full injury report:

- Nikola Jokic: QUESTIONABLE (right wrist injury management)

- Christian Braun: OUT (left ankle injury management, right hip flexor strain)

- Aaron Gordon: OUT (right hamstring injury management)

- Tim Hardaway Jr.: OUT (left knee soreness)

- Cam Johnson: OUT (right ankle injury management)

- Jamal Murray: OUT (right shoulder impingement)

- Spencer Jones: OUT (right hamstring strain)

- Peyton Watson: OUT (right hamstring strain)

Injury Report ahead of tomorrow's game against the Spurs:

QUESTIONABLE:
Nikola Jokić (Right Wrist Injury Management)

OUT:
Tim Hardaway Jr. (Left Knee Soreness)
Jamal Murray (Right Shoulder Impingement)
Aaron Gordon (Right Hamstring Injury Management)
Cam Johnson (Right Ankle… pic.twitter.com/LgDkeatNH3
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 11, 2026

With a win, the Nuggets would secure the third seed in the West, but if they lose to the Spurs, they are in jeopardy of falling to fourth place. If the Nuggets lose and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Utah Jazz, the Lakers will jump the Nuggets for third place. However, based on the Nuggets' decision to rest their starters, they do not seem to care whether they finish with the third or fourth seed.

It is worth noting that Jokic is the only starter not ruled out, as he needs to play at least 15 minutes in Sunday's game to remain eligible for MVP and All-NBA. While they do not want to risk injury in what they are treating as a meaningless game, it is worth keeping him eligible for end-of-season awards.

Spurs list three starters as questionable

Apr 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Spurs are not going to Denver's extreme of potentially playing without each of their top seven scorers, but they could have a similar situation. The Spurs have already secured the second seed in the West, but they are undecided if they want to give their stars the night off. San Antonio has listed Victor Wembanyama, among three total starters, as questionable.

The Spurs' full injury report:

- Stephon Castle: QUESTIONABLE (left foot soreness)

- Devin Vassell: QUESTIONABLE (right ribcage soreness)

- Victor Wembanyama: QUESTIONABLE (left ribcage soreness)

- David Jones Garcia: OUT (right foot surgery)

- Luke Kornet: OUT (right shoulder soreness)

If the Spurs rest Wembanyama, Castle, and Vassell, even the shorthanded Nuggets could have a chance to get the road win. However, the Spurs are one of the deepest teams in the NBA, making it an uphill climb for Denver regardless.

While the Spurs could choose to rest their starters, they have an incentive to beat the Nuggets. If the Spurs win on Sunday and the Lakers beat the Jazz, the Nuggets will move to the fourth seed. Why does this matter for San Antonio? This would move the Nuggets to the opposite side of the bracket.

In the Spurs' eyes, they could make the Nuggets and Thunder face off in the second round, forcing their two biggest threats to play each other rather than San Antonio having to beat both of them.

The Nuggets and Spurs are set to tip off at 6:30 p.m. MT in San Antonio on ESPN.

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