Nuggets Announce Jamal Murray, Peyton Watson's Final Status vs. Bucks

The Denver Nuggets are heading into the second night of a back-to-back against two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, but they will have their hands full as injuries continue to pile up.

Just one night after beating the Washington Wizards, the last thing the Nuggets want is to rush their players back on the court if they are not fully healthy. Well, that is why the Nuggets are opting to sit some of their key players for Friday's game.

After being listed as questionable, the Nuggets have ruled out Jamal Murray for Friday's game in Milwaukee due to right hamstring and left hip inflammation. Denver has also downgraded Jonas Valanciunas to out due to a right calf strain, as well as Peyton Watson because of a right ankle strain and a left ankle sprain.

Injury Update ahead of tonight’s game against the Bucks:

AVAILABLE:
Aaron Gordon (Right Hamstring Strain)

OUT:
Jonas Valančiūnas (Right Calf Strain)
Jamal Murray (Right Hamstring Inflammation, Left Hip Inflammation)
Peyton Watson (Right Ankle Strain, Left Ankle Sprain)… pic.twitter.com/9mJUMLyPQk
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) January 24, 2026

Nuggets downgrade three key players

This is certainly not what the Nuggets needed, as Murray, Watson, and Valanciunas will now join Nikola Jokic, Christian Braun, and Cam Johnson on the sideline. The Nuggets are concerningly shorthanded for Friday's game, but at least they got some good news ahead of the matchup.

While everyone seems to be sitting out, the Nuggets upgraded Aaron Gordon to available, despite him dealing with a right hamstring strain.

The Nuggets now only have ten players available for Friday's game, meaning bottom-of-the-bench guys like Hunter Tyson and two-way guard Curtis Jones could even get some run in Milwaukee. Denver will likely experiment with a starting lineup of Bruce Brown, Jalen Pickett, Spencer Jones, Aaron Gordon, and Zeke Nnaji, although there is no telling what direction David Adelman chooses to go with this many absences.

Who will step up?

Even when Murray and Jokic were both sidelined earlier in the month, the Nuggets knew they had Watson to lean on. Now, coming off a career-high 35-point outing, Watson is joining the stars on the bench, and the Nuggets need someone else to step up.

Of course, getting Gordon on the floor could be a huge game-changer for the Nuggets, as they will need him and Hardaway Jr., especially to carry the team offensively.

The last time the Nuggets were this shorthanded, they took down the Philadelphia 76ers on the road in overtime behind a 29-point outing from Jalen Pickett. The Nuggets cannot expect Pickett to explode like that again, although it would certainly help keep things close against the Bucks.

The good news is that the Bucks are not in a very good position at this point, losing four of their last five games as things reportedly go south in the locker room. This shorthanded Nuggets team could certainly catch the underwhelming Bucks off guard, although a loss at the hands of Antetokounmpo and company would not be the end of the world.

The Nuggets and Bucks are set to tip off at 7:30 p.m. MT in Milwaukee on Friday.

Nuggets downgrade three key players

Who will step up?

More Denver Nuggets Content