The Denver Nuggets have officially found their backup for Nikola Jokic, which is what they expected after trading Dario Saric for Jonas Valanciunas in a steal of a deal. Denver expected Valanciunas to honor his contract with the team, and on Monday, the center confirmed that he will. The Valanciunas saga overshadowed another backup on the team's roster.
The Nuggets traded up for DaRon Holmes II in the 2024 NBA Draft, clearly excited about his potential. He went to Las Vegas for summer league, but tore his Achilles in his first game, ending his rookie season before it officially began. He watched the 2024-25 season from the sideline.
Holmes returned to Vegas again this summer, but the results were much better this time. He played well in his first game, giving fans another reason to look forward to next season. Holmes ended his time in Vegas with a bang, recording 19 points, 17 rebounds, five assists, and two steals in Denver's 81-76 win over the Clippers. He sat out during the Nuggets' final game against the Lakers.
Denver didn't have a draft pick in 2025, but the team didn't need to trade into the draft. Not only did they have a healthy Holmes on the roster (he's technically a rookie), but the team made a flurry of moves during free agency, including two trades.
DaRon Holmes II could play a big role for Nuggets in 2025-26
Holmes reminded Nuggets fans who he is at summer league, and he'll have the chance to remind everyone when the regular season starts. It's unclear what role he'll play under new head coach David Adelman, such as whether he'll spend more time at forward or center, but he looks like he could be a reliable rotation player, perhaps sooner than later.
No, summer league isn't the equivalent of playing against true NBA-level talent, but Holmes needed to have a strong showing. His leg didn't seem to bother him at all. He moved well, and played even better.
Nuggets fans had hoped to cheer for Holmes at Ball Arena (and on the road) last season, but they had to put those cheers to the side. You can bet that fans will be rowdy when Holmes makes his official Nuggets debut in Denver. It took a little longer than expected, but that's okay.
In a few months, Holmes will show everyone that he was worth the wait.