After struggling a torn proper Achilles tendon throughout final 12 months’s Summer time League, Nuggets large man DaRon Holmes is returning to Las Vegas to restart his NBA profession, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Put up. The group had big expectations for Holmes after buying and selling as much as take him with the twenty second choose within the 2024 draft, however the damage pressured him to take a seat out his whole first season. He has absolutely recovered and gained’t be on any limitations for Denver’s first sport Thursday night.
“It may be fairly troublesome, as a result of it’s a must to belief what the trainers are saying (whereas recovering),” Holmes stated. “So in the event that they’re like, ‘Hey, we don’t need you coming again within the fitness center tonight — relaxation your legs, relaxation your Achilles,’ I’d attempt to struggle again and say no, I wish to get pictures up. However I’ve to take heed to what they should say. They went to highschool for eight-plus years doing that. I grew up taking part in basketball. In order that’s the struggle. It’s extra of a psychological factor. However I take heed to what they should say. And I belief my type. I’ve been nonetheless getting up pictures, however I pay attention if they are saying (to relaxation).”
Holmes considers himself to be a pure energy ahead, however he’ll probably see a while at middle this summer time. He’s just a little brief for the place at 6’9″, so Durando expects him to compete for backup minutes in the course of the season on the 4 spot with Zeke Nnaji and Peyton Watson.
“Wherever they put me, I’ll be comfy taking part in,” Holmes added. “I spent quite a lot of summer season taking part in the 5. … I belief what the coaches have. I belief this crew, the group.”
There’s extra on the Nuggets:
- Hunter Tyson will return to Summer time League for a 3rd season, Durando states in a separate story. The previous second-round choose was the one participant on Denver’s roster who averaged lower than 10 minutes per sport final season, so he signed up for an additional summer time in Las Vegas to sharpen his expertise. “Making an attempt to make use of this chance to get higher,” Tyson stated. “Benefit from it each time I step on the ground. … Going to go on the market and attempt to win, attempt to work on my sport, attempt to get higher. Use the sport reps to proceed to develop my sport.”
- The Nuggets’ commerce with Sacramento for Jonas Valanciunas stays on observe to be finalized this week, in line with Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter hyperlink), however the crew hasn’t agreed to ensure his $10MM wage for 2026/27. Valanciunas will make $10.395MM in the course of the upcoming season and has been hoping to return to Europe to play for Panathinaikos. Talking Tuesday to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews, Valanciunas sounded able to report back to the Nuggets. “As soon as the commerce is finalized, we’ll put collectively the plan for the journey to Denver,” he stated. “The crew will define how they see the scenario, medicals, and all the small print. That half is as much as them.”
- Michael Porter Jr. launched a YouTube video thanking Nuggets followers for his or her help and discussing his commerce to Brooklyn. Porter stated he loved his time with the group, particularly the 2023 championship, however added that his “ceiling in Denver form of plateaued.”
