Denver Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson suffered a concerning-looking right knee injury in the team's recent 131-130 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
The good news is that there was no structural damage in his right knee, and he was diagnosed with a bone bruise. The bad news is that Johnson is now set to miss multiple weeks, as he will be re-evaluated in four to six weeks, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
Johnson now joins Aaron Gordon, who has been out since Nov. 21 with a hamstring injury, and Christian Braun, who suffered a left ankle sprain on Nov. 12, on the Nuggets' sideline.
The Nuggets, who will play on Christmas Day against the Minnesota Timberwolves, will be without all three starters. A lot of pressure is now on three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray to carry the Nuggets entering 2026.
In Johnson's absence, Peyton Watson will continue to hold an essential role in the Nuggets' starting lineup. Veterans Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. will also be key secondary talents head coach David Adelman leans on for production on both offense and defense.
Interestingly enough, Johnson, who has been diagnosed with a bone bruise, is listed on the Nuggets' injury report with “right knee hyperextension injury management.”
Although a four-to-six week timeline before he is re-evaluated is not the best news Nuggets fans could have received on Christmas, they can breathe a sigh of relief that Johnson isn't out for the season, especially given how bad the injury looked at first.
Johnson will be back before the conclusion of the regular season, and he will assume his key role on the wing for Adelman and the championship-contending Nuggets.
