Nuggets' Nikola Jokic Ruled Out Beyond Expected Injury Return

It looks like the Denver Nuggets will be without Nikola Jokic a bit longer than initially anticipated.

According to the Nuggets' latest injury report, Jokic has been ruled out for their upcoming home matchup against the Detroit Pistons— his 15th-straight missed game from a hyperextended left knee— and a status update that comes exactly four weeks after their initial news break of the injury back in December.

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

PROBABLE:
Jonas Valančiūnas (Right Calf Strain)
Jamal Murray (Right Hamstring Inflammation, Left Hip Inflammation)
Peyton Watson (Right Ankle Strain, Left Ankle Sprain)

OUT:
Aaron Gordon (Right Hamstring Strain)… pic.twitter.com/u0YqCszaWN
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) January 26, 2026

Upon the announcement of the three-time MVP's extended absence with his hyperextended knee, the team would place a four-week re-evaluation timeline on the table for Jokic that pinned his potential return to the lineup at the end of January.

However, when fasting forward four weeks down the NBA schedule, and being without Jokic throughout the entire 2026 calendar year, there's still no indication of when exactly he could come back into the mix. Against Detroit in particular, he'll be out at least once more.

Nuggets Rule Out Jokic for 15th Straight Game

It's been a brutal pause put to Jokic's MVP-level campaign that he was on the verge of putting together before being forced to the sidelines for the past four weeks of the season.

In the 32 games played before going down, Jokic was averaging eye-popping numbers of 29.6 points per game, 12.2 rebounds, and 11.0 assists, shooting 60.5% from the field and 43.5% from three-point range.

That heroic start to help push the Nuggets near the top of the Western Conference got him to the top of the MVP ladder for the time he was on the floor. But now, he finds himself just a few games away from becoming completely ineligible for end-of-season awards.

Jan 11, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic reacts from the bench in the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

In order to remain eligible to win MVP at the end of the season, Jokic can miss a maximum of 17 games throughout the entire 2025-26 campaign—a total he's just three games away from surpassing, and thus completely putting those hopes of a fourth MVP on ice.

When looking ahead, Jokic will have until the end of January to get back on the floor before those hopes of suiting up for 65 games vanishes.

Of course, hitting that mark might not be the biggest priority for head coach David Adelman and the Nuggets compared to ensuring the long-term health of their superstar big man. Yet, to have an MVP to show for this season at the end of an 82-game slate would certainly make this campaign just a bit sweeter.

At the very least, the Nuggets look likely to have Jonas Valanciunas, Jamal Murray, and Peyton Watson on the floor against the East's number-one-seeded Detroit, and might just give them a puncher's chance to pull off the upset, even without their best player.

Time will tell what lies ahead for Jokic and when he'll be back out there for the Nuggets, but for now, it remains a waiting game.

Nuggets Rule Out Jokic for 15th Straight Game

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