Nuggets' Cam Johnson Receives New Devastating Injury Update

The Denver Nuggets are 21-8 heading into their Christmas night matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but did not receive the injury news they were hoping for ahead of the big game.

Nuggets standout forward Cam Johnson went down with a knee injury in their last game against the Dallas Mavericks, and while Denver knew their key offseason addition would not be ready to play on Christmas, they were certainly hoping for a better update on his injury than what they got.

ESPN's Shams Charania reports that Johnson will be reevaluated in four to six weeks with a bone bruise in his right knee.

Denver's Cam Johnson will be reevaluated in 4 to 6 weeks with his right knee injury, sources tell ESPN. The Nuggets are now down three starters: Johnson, Aaron Gordon (hamstring) and Christian Braun (ankle). https://t.co/maE0qrdQYt
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 25, 2025

The impact of Cam Johnson's extended absence

The initial testing on Johnson's injury suggested that the starting forward dodged any serious concerns, but being sidelined for at least a month is pretty substantial. As it stands, the Nuggets will be playing without three starters, as Johnson joins Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon on the sideline.

Johnson, 29, has been far from the most impactful player in Denver this season, but his absence will certainly be felt. Since a slow start to the season tarnished his name a bit, Johnson has been much better, averaging 14.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists over his last 17 games, shooting 50.3% from the field and 52.3% from three-point range.

This clip in the quoted post contains when Cam Johnson suffered his injury.

In the video on this post, he was helped to the Nuggets’ locker room. He was in obvious pain and limped off the court. https://t.co/U8deDVSAsA pic.twitter.com/6B9IYuvFVe
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) December 24, 2025

Johnson's ability to space the floor has been huge for the Nuggets, and is a huge reason why they hold the NBA's top offensive rating through their first 29 games. What will Denver's offense look like while Johnson, Gordon, and Braun are all sidelined? Luckily, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are arguably the league's top offensive duo, as the bigger concern is on the defensive end.

Johnson, Gordon, and Braun are the heart of Denver's defense, as regardless of how talented Jokic and Murray are on offense, they need those defensive glue guys to stay successful. Luckily, the Nuggets have other players like Peyton Watson, Bruce Brown, and Spencer Jones who take pride on the defensive end, but that still raises questions about the depth behind those guys.

All in all, the Nuggets could be in some trouble while they play without three starters, but with Gordon and Braun likely returning to action soon, they should not have to worry about this for too long.

The impact of Cam Johnson's extended absence

More Denver Nuggets Content