Nuggets Receive Target Date for Nikola Jokic's Return

The Denver Nuggets pulled off a miraculous upset over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night, despite being down all five starters and two key bench players. Most notably, the Nuggets were playing without three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, and it has always been a question of how the team can survive without the best player in the world on the court.

The Nuggets are now 2-2 since Jokic suffered a left knee bone bruise, but they will not be able to survive many games without him. The big question remains: when will he be back?

When the Nuggets initially announced his injury, they said he would be reevaluated in four weeks. Of course, that does not mean Jokic is guaranteed to return in four weeks, but that mark will give us a better idea of where he stands in his recovery.

The Athletic's Tony Jones reported that the Nuggets are expected to have Jokic back in action by, at the worst, the All-Star break.

Nikola Jokic remains at the top of the NBA MVP rankings despite his injury, but Jaylen Brown is putting together a very compelling resume in the East.

Full top 10 MVP rankings from @BrettSiegelNBA below 👇https://t.co/SkcvIDAZxV pic.twitter.com/gSfAOJNCht
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 5, 2026

"The good news is the Nuggets are optimistic about Nikola Jokic’s recovery. According to team sources, the hope is that Jokić is back and playing by, at worst, the All-Star break," Jones wrote. "On Sunday night in Brooklyn, Jokić was in Denver’s locker room in good spirits. While he hasn’t returned to the court yet, he’s well underway in his rehabilitation and has been able to be aggressive with it."

How soon could Jokic return?

The Nuggets' last game before the All-Star break is on February 11th, a little over a month from now. Sure, the Nuggets seemed confident that the superstar center was not going to be sidelined for over a month, so this does not give much optimism that we did not have before, but it is good to hear that they are certain we will see him again before mid-February.

In fact, it is more than likely that we will see him in action again well before that.

ESPN's Shams Charania also reported that the Nuggets are likely looking at the end of January for a Jokic return.

"Nikola Jokic is rehabbing around the clock," Charania said on NBA Today. "...The Nuggets won't be rushing Nikola Jokic back. He's still weeks away from a potential return. You're looking at the end of this month as a window."

Late last week, NBA sideline reporter Cassidy Hubbarth reported that the Nuggets were "pleasantly surprised" about Jokic's mobility in the early stages of his recovery.

"The Nuggets are 𝑷𝑳𝑬𝑨𝑺𝑬𝑵𝑻𝑳𝒀 𝑺𝑼𝑹𝑷𝑹𝑰𝑺𝑬𝑫 with how Nikola Jokic is moving." 👀🃏

🎙️ @CassidyHubbarth on Jokic's recovery

Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun could also return during this current road trip pic.twitter.com/BbkRhRrckP
— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) January 3, 2026

Realistically, Jokic could return sooner than his four-week reevaluation timeline, but as long as the Nuggets are not losing every game without him, then they have every reason to take their time with his recovery process.

Jokic's historic season

The only downside to the Nuggets taking their time getting Jokic back on the floor is the risk of him missing out on another MVP. With the NBA's new 65-game threshold that players have to meet to be eligible for awards like MVP and All-NBA, Jokic currently has a 13-game cushion before he is no longer in the MVP race.

This season, Jokic is averaging 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 11.0 assists, and 1.4 steals per game, with historically efficient 60.5/43.5/85.3 shooting splits.

Jokic is on the verge of becoming the first player in NBA history to lead the league in assists and rebounds in the same season, while also becoming the first player to shoot over 60% from the field and 40% from three-point range on 17 or more field goal attempts per game.

Dec 29, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) shoots a free throw against the Miami Heat during the first quarter at Kaseya Center. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Of course, the Nuggets want to take their time getting Jokic back on the floor, but it is simply a shame for fans to have to go this long without watching the superstar center in action.

How soon could Jokic return?

Jokic's historic season

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