Four Key Injuries to Monitor for Nuggets vs. Timberwolves Playoff Matchup

The Denver Nuggets have had a rollercoaster 2025-26 season, plagued by injuries and inconsistent lineups. Now, heading into the postseason, are things trending in the right direction? They are set to face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs, fueling a budding rivalry, but injuries could continue to play a factor for both teams.

Both the Nuggets and Timberwolves have two notable injuries to monitor heading into the series, which tips off on Saturday:

Nuggets: Peyton Watson, hamstring

Mar 25, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Peyton Watson (8) reacts after a play in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Ball Arena. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Through most of the Nuggets' injury concerns this season, Peyton Watson was a constant bright spot. Watson's breakout season was largely due to the increased role during Denver's mid-season injury plague, but it caught up to him down the stretch. Watson suffered a hamstring strain that sidelined him for 19 consecutive games.

However, after returning for a few games, Watson reaggravated his hamstring and has been sidelined since. Watson missed Denver's final five games of the regular season, and David Adelman said that he was "week to week," but did not confirm whether he would be back for the start of the playoffs.

Watson is a complete game-changer for the Nuggets off the bench, making a huge impact on both sides of the ball. If Watson has to miss any more time in this first-round playoff series, the Nuggets could be in trouble. Luckily, they have enough depth to make up for a potential absence, but his versatility on the defensive end is hard to replicate.

Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards, knee

Apr 3, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) looks on during the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Minnesota's most important player, four-time All-Star Anthony Edwards, has been a bit banged up recently. Edwards missed 11 of the Timberwolves' final 14 games due to a knee injury, and did not eclipse 28 minutes in any of the three games he appeared in down the stretch.

Fortunately, the expectation is that Edwards will be ready to go for the playoffs, but he has not been at full strength in a month. Of course, there is reason to be concerned about Edwards' health, but even at 80%, he is a force to be reckoned with.

While he failed to qualify for end-of-season awards like All-NBA, due to appearing in just 61 games, he still put together one of the best regular seasons of his career. He averaged 28.8 points per game on career-best efficiency, shooting 48.9% from the field and 39.9% from three-point range. If he is at 100% for this first-round playoff series, he will give Denver's defense a lot of trouble.

Nuggets: Spencer Jones, hamstring

Mar 24, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Spencer Jones (21) against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

While Spencer Jones is not as flashy a name as Edwards, and is certainly not as impactful as the All-NBA guard, his injury could make a big difference for Denver. Jones missed Denver's final five games with a hamstring strain, and there is still no update on when he is expected to return.

Jones came into the season on a two-way deal, but amid all of Denver's injury problems, he came out with a standard contract and as a centerpiece in their second unit. With Denver's questionable frontcourt depth, Jones provides some stability, as the Nuggets even leaned on him as a small-ball center down the stretch of the season.

With the Nuggets' defense being a huge concern, having both Watson and Jones available would completely change things. As arguably the most underrated player in Denver, it will certainly be worth monitoring any injury updates for Jones as we head into the playoffs.

Timberwolves: Jaden McDaniels, knee

Mar 18, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) dribbles the ball against the Utah Jazz in the first half at Target Center. | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Jaden McDaniels recently missed six consecutive games with left knee patella tendinopathy, but he was able to return for two of Minnesota's final three games of the season. McDaniels was near 100% in one of Minnesota's last games of the season, playing 35 minutes, showing that the knee injury is not bothering him too much.

Still, though, these knee injuries can linger. There is a good chance this injury still impacts McDaniels in the playoffs, even if it does not cause him to miss any games. Similar to what Edwards is dealing with, these two Timberwolves starters could not be at full strength if their knee injuries continue to bother them.

McDaniels has been vital for the Timberwolves, being their best defender and an improving contributor on offense. This season, he shot 41.2% from three-point range, expanding Minnesota's offense and becoming one of the most valuable role players in the NBA.

Of course, every fan wants to see both of these teams at full strength for this high-powered first-round playoff matchup, so hopefully these guys are as close to 100% as possible by Saturday's Game 1 tip-off at 1:30 p.m. MT in Denver.

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