Nikola Jokic Injury Update: When Will Denver Big Man Be Back and Return to Nuggets?

Nikola Jokic is inching closer to his much-anticipated return. Jokic hyperextended his left knee on Dec. 29 in a loss at the Miami Heat. Below, we will look at exactly when Jokic is likely to return and be back in a Nuggets uniform. We will also take a glance at his potential to still be in the NBA MVP mix despite missing a chunk of time.

⏳ When will Nikola Jokic return and be back with Nuggets?

ESPN’s Shams Charania said on Jan. 14 that Jokic could very well return by the end of January.

"Nikola Jokic has resumed on-court workouts for Denver, and he’s right on schedule, if not a little bit ahead of schedule,” Charania said. "[He’ll be] making his return to the lineup by the end of this month. It’s about that four-week initial early timetable that they had. The Nuggets are optimistic that Nikola Jokic will be able to return by that late January mark. He’s making progress, rapid progress. If he is able to make it back by late January it would also give him a window to be eligible for postseason awards, like MVP and All-NBA teams. So there is progress for Nikola Jokic.”

When Jokic went down in a heap on Dec. 29, the worst (ACL tear) was initially feared. An MRI the next day, however, revealed that Jokic had simply suffered a left knee hyperextension.

🏥 How much longer will Nikola Jokic be out for?

It is believed that Jokic’s hyperextended knee was “mild,” as that injury typically takes 2-4 weeks to recover from. Obviously, the Nuggets are taking their time with bringing their superstar back as a precautionary measure.

Had this injury occurred in the playoffs, it is likely that Jokic would have returned after being out just a couple of weeks.

If Charania’s reporting comes to fruition, Jokic could be back on the court as soon as Tuesday, Jan. 27 with the Nuggets set to host the Detroit Pistons.

A more cushy return date is Thursday, Jan. 29 against the lowly Brooklyn Nets.

Here is a look at potential dates in which Jokic could return.

• Tuesday, Jan. 27: Detroit Pistons at Denver Nuggets
• Thursday, Jan. 29: Brooklyn Nets at Denver Nuggets
• Friday, Jan. 30: LA Clippers at Denver Nuggets
• Sunday, Feb. 1: Oklahoma City Thunder at Denver Nuggets

🏀 Can Nikola Jokic still win NBA MVP?

To win the NBA MVP award these days, a player must play in at least 65 out of 82 regular-season games. A player is only allowed to miss 17 games.

Jokic has played in 32 of the Nuggets 43 games thus far, so he has already missed 11 games.

It is likely that Jokic will miss at least three more games due to this injury, so we’re looking at him having missed around 14 games by the time he returns to injury.

Denver will certainly ease back Jokic into the NBA grind as well. There may be some “load management” games for him during February, March and April.

Jokic is currently off the board when it comes to NBA MVP odds at most sportsbooks. Hard Rock has the Joker at +1400 win the prestigious award. That is behind only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic.

⛏️ Nuggets odds

The Nuggets have done OK for themselves in Jokic’s absence as they are 7-4 since he went down.

Denver currently sports at 29-14 record and owns the third seed in the Western Conference.

The Nuggets have +700 NBA Finals odds. Only the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder have a shorter number.