The Denver Nuggets are in a spot no NBA team wants to be, with a majority of their starters currently out with injuries, and specifically with franchise star Nikola Jokic set to miss at least four weeks after hyperextending his knee.
While Jokic is now likely out of the running for the league’s MVP award this season, putting up incredible averages of 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 11 assists on 60.5% shooting, the Nuggets are now Jamal Murray’s team going forward.
However, with the sidelined Jokic and now backup center Jonas Valanciunas, the latest to hit the injury report, Denver should be scouring the trade market for a replacement center that could at least give Murray and the rest of the remaining roster some help during the middle stretch of the season.
Most of the big men on the trade market carry too high an asking price and contract for the Nuggets, but one in particular could be available, on a team that already expects to be active before the 2026 NBA trade deadline on February 5th.
Nuggets Trade Rumors, Nikola Jokic Replacement
Writing for ClutchPoints.com, Enzo Flojo outlined a trade that the Nuggets could make to add some frontcourt talent amid their major injury concerns across the roster. The Atlanta Hawks have been one team at the top of NBA trade rumors, and big man Onyeka Okongwu would be a solid fit in Denver to pair with Murray while Jokic and Valanciunas are out for the next few weeks.
Denver Nuggets receive: Onyeka Okongwu
Atlanta Hawks receive: Zeke Nnaji, Christian Braun, and a 2026 first-round draft pick (top-10 protected)
“Okongwu is the rare center who fits Denver’s immediate needs without forcing a philosophical overhaul,” Flojo wrote on this hypothetical trade. “At 25, he brings elite athleticism, legitimate rim protection, and efficient finishing around the basket. That’s exactly what Denver lacks without Jokic.”
This season, the Hawks’ big man is averaging a career-high 16.4 points on 48.8% shooting, along with 7.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, one block, and one steal per game. In the second season of a four-year, $61 million extension he signed with Atlanta in 2023, the former USC Trojan is outplaying his contract, and could be the missing piece for the Nuggets as they grapple with nearly half their roster on the injury report.
“Offensively, Okongwu doesn’t need touches to be effective. He thrives as a screener, rim runner, and vertical spacer. Those skills pair seamlessly with Murray’s pick-and-roll game and (Tim) Hardaway’s off-ball gravity,” Flojo added. “Christian Braun’s inclusion stings. However, it’s the cost of doing business.”
Despite losing Braun, Denver does this deal because it’s seemingly impossible for Murray to carry the team going forward, and trading for a player like Okongwu lifts the burden on the guard a little bit for the next few weeks.
Nuggets Injury Report
While there were initial concerns that Jokic had torn his ACL when he went down in a game against the Miami Heat after a collision with teammate Spencer Jones, Shams Charania confirmed that he only hyperextended his knee and will miss at least four weeks.
At the same time that the injury likely puts him out of contention for MVP and other end of season awards, Jokic has been perhaps the most impactful player in the league over the last half decade, and giving him rest and a cautious recovery isn’t the worst thing in the world if the Nuggets want to recreate the magic they had during their 2023 title run. But still, with him out, it changes the team drastically.
Valanciunas was the latest Denver player to hit the injury report, as the team announced he suffered a calf strain recently and will also be re-evaluated in four weeks.
The two injured big men are compounded by the fact that both Braun and Aaron Gordon are already missing a major amount of time this year. Braun has been out since mid-November with an ankle injury, but according to head coach David Adelman, he could return sometime soon.
Gordon suffered a hamstring injury around the same time, but Adelman also said they are eyeing a return for him sometime during their upcoming seven-game road trip.
Additionally, Denver has Cam Johnson out with a knee injury he suffered on Christmas, and the wing player isn’t expected to return until at least the end of January.
Guards Murray (ankle) and Julian Strawther (illness) are currently listed as questionable for the team’s next game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
For the Nuggets, staying afloat amid the injury concerns should be their only priority until All-Star Break.
Nuggets Urged To Make Emergency Trade For Jokic Replacement