Nuggets lose star for number of months after painful knee issue curbs season
The Denver Nuggets will be without Cam Johnson after he went down against the Mavs with a knee injury.
Denver’s rising wing Cameron Johnson is set for a long absence after suffering a knee injury in the recent loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Reports say that early scans confirm that the 29-year-old avoided any major damage, but the bone bruise he sustained will keep him off the court for a number of weeks.
The injury occurred late in the fourth quarter of Denver’s 131-130 defeat, when Johnson awkwardly landed while contesting a rebound and immediately grabbed his right knee. As fans held their breath, he limped off the court and did not return to the game. An MRI later revealed the bone bruise and hyperextension. The franchise revealed that he would be re-evaluated in the next four to six weeks.
“The initial conversation was, ‘Hey, maybe it’s not as bad as it looked.’ Then there’s like this optimistic [viewpoint that] maybe it’s only a week or two. And then you get the real thing,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said Thursday night.
Injury Update: Cameron Johnson suffered a Right Knee Hyperextension injury during Tuesday night's game at the Dallas Mavericks. Cam will be re-evaluated in four to six weeks. pic.twitter.com/KDKAE9cnm2
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 25, 2025
“I didn’t really know what to expect... anything can happen with an injury like that”
“I didn’t really know what to expect, so you’re try not to be emotional about it. Because anything can happen with an injury like that, a non-contact, where he can be done for the season or whatever it is. … I just felt for him personally.”
Johnson has become a key cog in the Nuggets’ rotation since arriving from the Nets as part of the trade that sent Michael Porter Jr. to Brooklyn. This season he is averaging around 11.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists for the Nuggets as they battle at the top of the Western Conference.
His absence leaves Denver scrambling for options as the team deals with a plague of injuries to its starters. Forward Aaron Gordon remains sidelined with a hamstring strain, while Christian Braun is out with an ankle injury.
Here is the play where Cam Johnson suffered the knee injurypic.twitter.com/wUOONGQBWZ
— Grand Canyon State Sports (@GCStateSports) December 24, 2025
Losing a reliable three-point threat like Johnson for at least a month will mean that younger stars and bench players such as Tim Hardaway Jr., Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones are likely to see increased minutes at this crunch point of the season.
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