The Denver Nuggets have experienced injury problems aplenty throughout the 2025-26 season. But they of all teams would know that having a clean bill of health come the end of the season matters the most. And on Friday night, they are taking one step closer to being fully healthy as a unit.
With a clash against the New York Knicks on the horizon, the Nuggets will be welcoming Aaron Gordon back from a 17-game absence while he nursed a hamstring injury, as per ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel reported.
Gordon has been dealing with hamstring problems since the 2025 NBA playoffs, when he suffered a Grade 2 strain which put his status for Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the playoffs in doubt. The Nuggets forward played through it, but Denver ended up losing in blowout fashion.
Those problems have carried over to this season. In addition to his recent 17-game absence, he also missed 19 straight games earlier in the season from mid-November to the start of January. Overall, Gordon has only played in 23 of the Nuggets' 63 games this season.
Denver will be very cautious with their prized forward, as it's hard to envision them getting deep into the playoffs without his services. That's how important he is for this team.
Nuggets will be assessing Aaron Gordon's status in Knicks clash
Gordon's workload will most definitely be monitored on Friday night, and it's unlikely for the Nuggets to thrust him into the deep end especially when there's over a month to go in the regular season.
The Nuggets remain without Peyton Watson and Cam Johnson for their clash against the Knicks, and those two players will be expected to be huge contributors in their eventual playoff run as well. Denver has to err on the side of caution with these things, especially when soft-tissue injuries have a tendency to recur.
