Nuggets Get Good News on Injury Report vs. Wizards

The Denver Nuggets were one of the NBA's hottest teams, winning six of seven games, despite not having Nikola Jokic among a few key players due to injuries. However, they have come back down to earth since then. The Nuggets have lost their last two games, but they have a great opportunity to bounce back against the Washington Wizards on Thursday.

The Nuggets are traveling to the nation's capital on Thursday to start a three-game road trip, and this matchup against the 10-32 Wizards should certainly favor the Nuggets. To make things better for Denver heading into this matchup, they could get backup center Jonas Valanciunas on the floor.

Nuggets upgrade Valanciunas

The Nuggets' injuries were bad enough when Jokic went down, but Valanciunas got injured the very next game. Now, after 11 consecutive absences, Valanciunas could make his 2026 debut in Washington. The Nuggets' full injury report:

Aaron Gordon - PROBABLE (right hamstring strain)

Tim Hardaway Jr. - PROBABLE (right knee contusion)

Jamal Murray - PROBABLE (left hip inflammation)

Jonas Valanciunas - QUESTIONABLE (right calf strain)

Christian Braun - OUT (left ankle sprain)

Cam Johnson - OUT (right knee bone bruise)

Nikola Jokic - OUT (left knee bone bruise)

Injury Report ahead of tomorrow’s game against the Wizards:

PROBABLE:
Jamal Murray (Left Hip Inflammation)
Tim Hardaway Jr. (Right Knee Contusion)
Aaron Gordon (Right Hamstring Strain)

QUESTIONABLE:
Jonas Valančiūnas (Right Calf Strain)

OUT:
Christian Braun (Left Ankle… pic.twitter.com/Hjn4wP67J3
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) January 21, 2026

If the Nuggets get Valanciunas back and Murray, Gordon, and Hardaway Jr. are all able to suit up, they are a much more dangerous team. Being able to start Valanciunas at center and let Gordon play his natural position of power forward would be a game-changer for Denver, and a much more reliable band-aid until Jokic returns.

Valanciunas has proven to be one of the best backup centers in the league, and his presence will certainly be felt if he is able to return against his former team on Thursday night.

It is also worth noting that star point guard Jamal Murray is seemingly dealing with a new injury. He has been listed on the injury report for the past couple of weeks, but he is now noted with hip inflammation, compared to the prior knee inflammation that he was dealing with. Luckily, regardless, it seems like he should be ready to suit up for Thursday's game.

Wizards' injury report vs. Nuggets

The Wizards are dealing with some key injuries and illnesses themselves and have a handful of players whose status is uncertain. The Wizards' full injury report:

Marvin Bagley III - QUESTIONABLE (illness)

Bilal Coulibaly - QUESTIONABLE (lower back strain)

AJ Johnson - QUESTIONABLE (illness)

Khris Middleton - QUESTIONABLE (illness)

Tristan Vukcevic - OUT (left hamstring strain)

Cam Whitmore - OUT (right shoulder deep vein thrombosis)

Trae Young - OUT (right knee MCL sprain; quad contusion)

The Wizards clearly have an illness running through the locker room, which the Nuggets had to deal with themselves earlier in the month.

When completely healthy, this Wizards team could certainly make some noise, but they are struggling right now. The Wizards have lost their last seven games to fall to 10-32 on the season, and Thursday's game against the Nuggets is not expected to go in their favor either.

The Nuggets are certainly desperate to get back in the win column, as if they show they can keep winning without Jokic, they can be more flexible with letting him take more time getting back on the floor.

The Nuggets and Wizards are set to tip off at 5:00 p.m. MT in Washington on Thursday.