The Denver Nuggets have reportedly been granted a disabled player exception for $1.53 million for the injury sustained by rookie DaRon Holmes II, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic.
Holmes underwent surgery last month to repair a torn right Achilles suffered in his debut with the Nuggets on July 12 in summer league. The team will provide updates on his status as appropriate, though the 22nd pick is expected to miss the entire 2024-25 season.
Teams can apply for a disabled player exception once it is determined that a player has suffered a season-ending injury. This allows over-the-cap teams some financial flexibility to add a player via signing, trade or waiver claim by March 10.
The Denver Nuggets have received a disabled player exception for 1.53 million, league sources tell The Athletic. This is in the wake of losing rookie DaRon Holmes for the season, due to a torn Achilles
— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) August 8, 2024
Holmes had made a productive debut with the Nuggets before the injury, recording 11 points, seven rebounds, one assist and one steal in 25 minutes. He finished by shooting 4-of-8 from the field, including a perfect 3-of-3 from 3-point range.
The news of the injury is devastating to Holmes and the team after the 21-year-old established himself as a first-round pick. After a tremendous collegiate career at Dayton, he was projected to be the backup center for the Nuggets behind Nikola Jokić.
Holmes was a consensus second-team All-American last season with the Flyers, averaging 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.1 blocks in 33 games. He was also named the Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.
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