Denver traded up to draft DaRon Holmes II, but his rookie season seems over after just one Summer League game.
Holmes, the No. 22 pick in June’s NBA draft, suffered a torn right Achilles tendon during his first game with the Nuggets.
He is expected to miss the entire 2024-25 season due to this injury.
Denver Nuggets No. 22 overall pick DaRon Holmes II has suffered a torn right Achilles tendon, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. He’s expected to miss the 2024-25 season. Devastating blow for one of the Nuggets’ promising young pieces.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania)
Holmes had an impressive college career at Dayton and was even named second-team All-American and Atlantic 10’s Defensive Player of the Year. Denver valued him so much they traded three second-round picks to move up six spots and select him.
During his debut game, he scored 11 points and showcased a strong outside shot before getting injured .
Terrific Nuggets debut for DaRon Holmes
Tight contest in the corner, doesn’t matter. He’s 3-for-3 from deep.
— Matt Brooks (@MattBrooksNBA)
Denver’s Draft Strategy:
For the past two summers, Denver has focused on drafting players in mid-rounds to support their expensive roster. With new NBA spending rules, they’ve aimed for young talent on affordable contracts. This strategy worked with Christian Braun and somewhat with Peyton Watson.
Fans might feel that losing Holmes is a big setback.
Braun was set to replace Kentavious Caldwell-Pope while Holmes was expected to back up MVP Nikola Jokic. His speed and three-point shooting could have allowed him to play alongside Jokic without hurting floor spacing.
Now with Holmes out until 2025, Denver loses a front court player who could have played significant minutes as a rookie. They will get a disabled player exception worth just over $1.5M due to Holmes’ low salary but finding an adequate replacement will be tough.
This injury is especially hard for Holmes who now faces rehab instead of competing for a title with Denver—a harsh turn of events from what should have been an exciting rookie year.
What do you think about this news?
