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Holmes (coach's decision) went unused off the bench Sunday in the Nuggets' 108-104 win over the Bucks.
In the absence of Nikola Jokic (knee) and Jonas Valanciunas (calf), Holmes had started in each of Denver's previous five contests, but he averaged just 17.6 minutes per game while shooting 34.8 percent from the field during that stretch. Head coach David Adelman opted to shake things up Sunday, deploying Aaron Gordon as a small-ball starting center while Zeke Nnaji served as the primary backup and Holmes was removed from the rotation entirely. The Nuggets may not necessarily stick with Gordon as their starting center in every matchup while both Jokic and Valanciunas are sidelined, but the instability of Holmes' role will make it difficult to rely on him in the majority of fantasy leagues.
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Nuggets' DaRon Holmes: Not starting Sunday
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Holmes is not in the Nuggets' starting lineup against the Bucks on Sunday, Ryan Blackburn of MileHighSports.com reports.
Holmes has started in each of the Nuggets' last five games due to the absences of Nikola Jokic (knee) and Jonas Valanciunas (calf). However, Holmes will come off the bench Sunday while Aaron Gordon enters the starting five.
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Nuggets' DaRon Holmes: Another quiet showing
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Holmes provided two points (1-4 FG, 0-3 3Pt), one rebound and four assists over 21 minutes during Monday's 125-124 overtime victory over the 76ers.
Holmes was soundly outplayed by Zeke Nnaji, who tied a career high with 21 points off the bench Monday. Holmes has mostly squandered the opportunity left behind by Nikola Jokic's (knee) absence so far, averaging 5.5 points, 3.0 assists and 2.3 rebounds in 20.5 minutes per game in his last four outings (three starts).
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Nuggets' DaRon Holmes: Struggles in first career start
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Holmes produced three points (1-6 FG, 1-4 3Pt), four rebounds and six assists across 24 minutes during Friday's 113-108 loss to the Cavaliers.
Holmes picked up two fouls in his first three minutes, limiting him to just 24 minutes in the loss. While it wasn't the strongest performance, the fact that Holmes was given the starting nod was a real positive. With both Nikola Jokic (knee) and Jonas Valanciunas (calf) set to miss up to a month, it appears as though Holmes is going to have first crack at the starting job. If you added him in the past 24 hours, patience could be required.
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Nuggets' DaRon Holmes: Starting Friday vs. Cleveland
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Holmes is in the Nuggets' starting lineup against the Cavaliers on Friday.
Holmes will make his first NBA start Friday due to the absences of Jonas Valanciunas (calf) and Nikola Jokic (knee). Holmes should remain in Denver's starting five for as long as Valanciunas and Jokic are sidelined, which could persist into late January/early February. Holmes played 22 minutes during the Nuggets' 106-103 win over the Raptors on Wednesday and finished with 11 points, three rebounds, one assist and one block.
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Nuggets' DaRon Holmes: Could be set for big role at center
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Holmes recorded 11 points (4-5 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 1-2 FT), three rebounds, one assist and one block in 22 minutes Wednesday in the Nuggets' 106-103 win over the Raptors.
The No. 22 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Holmes didn't make his professional debut last season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in the Las Vegas Summer League. Though he's been fully healthy in 2025-26, Holmes has thus far received most of his minutes in the G League and had been limited to three garbage-time appearances at the NBA level before getting his first meaningful playing time Wednesday. Holmes' expanded role came after Jonas Valanciunas -- who was making his first start in place of superstar Nikola Jokic (knee) -- was forced out of the game with 4:03 left in the third quarter due to a right calf strain. While the severity of Valanciunas' injury isn't yet known, calf strains often entail multi-week recoveries, and with Jokic not set to be re-evaluated until late January or early February, Holmes could be poised for an extended run as the Nuggets' top center. Denver could also incorporate Zeke Nnaji into the rotation and make more use of small-ball lineups that would suppress Holmes' playing time, but at the very least, the 23-year-old rookie looks like a worthwhile speculative pickup in most leagues with the likelihood that Valanciunas misses time.
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Nuggets' DaRon Holmes: Recalled to NBA
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Denver recalled Holmes from the G League's Grand Rapids Gold on Tuesday.
Holmes has appeared on an NBA court for just four total minutes this season and likely won't play Tuesday even though he has been recalled. Denver will continue to have Holmes split time with their G League affiliate.
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Nuggets' DaRon Holmes: Summoned from G League
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The Nuggets recalled Holmes from the G League's Grand Rapids Gold on Saturday.
After missing the entire 2024-25 campaign while recovering from a torn right Achilles tendon, Holmes has been healthy thus far during his rookie season but has nonetheless spent the majority of his time in the G League. He'll be available off the Nuggets' bench for Saturday's game against the Kings, though he's unlikely to be included in the rotation.
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Nuggets' DaRon Holmes: Assigned to G League
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Denver assigned Holmes to the G League's Grand Rapids Gold on Tuesday.
With training camp underway for Grand Rapids, Holmes will get some much-needed reps with the G League squad. Holmes has played a total of four minutes across two appearances with the Nuggets to open the season.
The Nuggets exercised the third-year option on Holmes' contract Wednesday, Katy Winge of Altitude Sports reports.
The transactions will keep Holmes under team control for the 2026-27 season. The big man could be hard-pressed to push Jonas Valanciunas for the backup center role this year.
Nuggets' DaRon Holmes: Monster night in Summer League
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Holmes tallied 19 points (8-16 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 2-3 FT), 17 rebounds, five assists and two steals over 30 minutes during Thursday's 81-76 Summer League win over the Clippers.
Holmes powered his way to a double-double and led the Nuggets in scoring and on the boards. He's now notched a double-double in back-to-back appearances. However, Holmes also led the team with five turnovers, an area he'll look to clean up heading into the final game of Summer League over the weekend.
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Nuggets' DaRon Holmes: Double-doubles in SL loss
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Holmes recorded 10 points (3-8 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 2-4 FT), 11 rebounds, two steals and one assist across 29 minutes in Tuesday's 101-97 Summer League loss to the Raptors.
Holmes racked up a game-high mark in rebounds en route to a double-double. The 22-year-old center had his most inefficient game through three Summer League appearances but still finished as one of five Denver players to score double-digit points. The 2024 first-round pick missed the 2024-25 campaign due to a torn right Achilles tendon but will compete for minutes with Jonas Valanciunas behind Nikola Jokic.
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Nuggets' DaRon Holmes: Looks strong in Summer League
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Holmes collected 15 points (6-9 FG, 3-5 3Pt), four rebounds, one assist and one block in 24 minutes during Thursday's 90-89 Summer League loss to the Bucks.
Holmes contributed a team-high 15 points and did so in an efficient manner, hitting at an impressive clip from beyond the arc. The Dayton product missed the entire 2024-25 season after suffering a torn right Achilles tendon, but he's been given a clean bill of health and is expected to compete for the backup center spot leading up to the 2025-26 campaign.
Holmes (Achilles) said Tuesday that he will participate in the Summer League, Bennett Durando of The Denver Post reports.
The No. 22 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Holmes missed the entire 2024-25 season while recovering from a torn right Achilles tendon he suffered in the Las Vegas Summer League in July of 2024. If Holmes can put together a strong offseason, it's not out of the question that he could win the backup center role behind Nikola Jokic ahead of Opening Night.
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Nuggets' DaRon Holmes: Practicing, but remains out
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Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said that Holmes (Achilles) was able to participate in portions of Wednesday's practice, Brendan Vogt of TheDNVR.com reports.
The No. 22 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Holmes is still expected to miss the entire 2024-25 season while he recovers from the torn right Achilles tendon he suffered in the Las Vegas Summer League in July. That said, the fact that Holmes is back on the court in some capacity bodes well for his chances of being ready to play in Las Vegas when the summer rolls around. If he avoids any setbacks in his rehab program for the rest of the season and throughout the summer, Holmes could open the 2025-26 campaign as the top backup to starting center Nikola Jokic.
