The return on investment was thwarted early on for the Denver Nuggets in the 2K25 NBA Summer League. After losing the first three games, they finished with two consecutive wins for a 2-3 record, for 23rd place out of the 30 participating teams. Although they lost the opening game to the LA Clippers, 88-78, the bigger loss that day came from losing their first-round draft pick, DaRon Holmes II, to an Achilles injury. Holmes played for 26 minutes and scored 11 points before sustaining his injury in the closing minutes while making a rebound.

Holmes was the key player the Nuggets hoped to contribute in the frontcourt regular season after acquiring him in the first round of the 2024 Draft in June. Rights to Holmes were obtained through a trade with the Phoenix Suns when they selected him as the 22nd pick. The Nuggets used a 28th and 56th overall pick, along with a second-round 2026 and 2031 pick for Holmes. After undergoing successful surgery two days later, Holmes is expected to miss a full calendar year to recover from the injury. Holmes, 21, played as a junior last year, spending three seasons at Dayton, averaging 20.4 points and 8.5 rebounds.

The Nuggets also had some positive news after Holmes’s negative news in the Summer League. Rookie Trey Alexander, an undrafted player from Creighton, was impressive in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 17.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. Each game was closely contested, and Alexander played well in clutch situations, showing the ability to create shots for himself while spreading the floor.

Shooting guard Julian Strawther performed impressively in two of the five Summer League games. Strawther averaged 28.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game on 42.5 FG% and 40.9 3P%. After losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Justin Holiday on the roster, he competes for playing time.

With the Summer League over, the NBA and Denver Nuggets announced their 2024 preseason schedule. The opening matchup will be drama-filled, with the first two games in Abu Dhabi against the NBA champion Boston Celtics. The October 4th and 6th games will feature the NBA’s last two NBA Finals champions facing off.