Nuggets Reveal Final Injury Status for Starters vs. Thunder

The Denver Nuggets are set to be without multiple key players on Friday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

According to Nuggets head coach David Adelman all five of the Nuggets starters will not be playing against OKC.

David Adelman says @nuggets starters will NOT play tonight.
— Vic Lombardi (@VicLombardi) April 10, 2026

Leading up to the contest, each of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon was all listed as questionable with their respective minor injuries that clouded their game-time status.

Now, right before tip off. It looks like all three of them, as well as Christian Braun and Cam Johnson, will be out for the action as a precautionary measure.

Along with each of the Nuggets' five starters, the Thunder will also be resting all of their five starters, headlined by absences to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams, as well as a few key pieces off the bench.

Why Are the Nuggets Resting Their Starters?

The decision comes as one that has the Nuggets' long-term health and safety in mind, considering Denver now stands just over a week away from their postseason action getting underway.

The Nuggets have already suffered a great deal of injuries across the regular season so far. They've fortunately managed to get back to nearly full health at the perfect time, but the last thing anyone wants is one of Denver's top contributors to suffer a late-season injury that inhibits their playoff availability.

So, instead of risking the health of some of their top players on the roster that make this team what it is, Denver will be playing it safe and giving them the night off. They might re-evaluate things for their season finale against the San Antonio Spurs depending on how the conference around them shakes out in the days to follow, but remain to be seen.

Jan 27, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) and center Nikola Jokic (15) on the bench in the second half against the Detroit Pistons at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Considering the Nuggets don’t have their playoff seeding locked up just yet, heading into their game against the Thunder, deciding to rest all five of their starters does come with some added risk. me added risk.

However, it seems like the Nuggets are clearly prioritizing their long-term health instead of where their final placement may be in the Western Conference standings, wherever that may be.

Without all five starters in the mix, as well as Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones missing with their own respective injuries, it’ll leave the door open for guys like Julian Strawther, Jonas Valanciunas, and Jalen Pickett to get extended playing time.

The Nuggets' depth behind their key starters has proven in pockets throughout the season that they’re capable of picking up the slack in short stints to help Denver stay afloat when necessary. Perhaps being up against an undermanned OKC team could help those efforts as well, and thus cement a Denver win that would effectively lock up a top-four seed.

Tip-off between the Nuggets and Thunder lands at 7 p.m. MT in Ball Arena, as Denver will have the chance to extend their league-high win streak to 11 straight, albeit not at 100% availability.

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