Julian Strawther, the Nuggets’ young wing, is officially out indefinitely after suffering a left knee sprain. The team confirmed the news on Sunday, October 18, 2026, and honestly, while it’s tough, it could’ve been way worse from how it looked when it went down.
The Awkward Play That Changed Everything
You probably saw it. It happened during the third quarter of that preseason game against the Clippers on Wednesday. Strawther was handling the ball, tried to pivot to keep it from getting swiped, and his foot just slipped out from under him. That left knee bent in a way nobody wants to see. He hit the deck in obvious pain, covering his face with a towel for a couple of minutes before he had to be helped off the court and back to the locker room. Total gut punch watching that go down live.
Big Plans On Hold
This injury is a real wrench in the plans for the 24-year-old. Last season, Strawther was putting up 7.2 points per game in about 15 minutes a night. But with Peyton Watson no longer in Denver, everyone was looking at Strawther to step up big time, grab a bigger role, and get more opportunities off the bench this season. Now, all that momentum and the chance to prove himself are completely on hold. This just slams the brakes on it.
The good news, if you can call it that, is he’ll be re-evaluated in six weeks. Until then, the Nuggets’ bench depth is going to be tested, big time. Here’s hoping for a speedy recovery for Strawther, because that bench is gonna need him back sooner rather than later.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply