On the verge of returning, Nuggets' DaRon Holmes II is in 'a great spot'
Holmes underwent surgery last July to repair a torn Achilles tendon sustained during his debut with the Nuggets in summer league last year. He recorded 11 points, seven rebounds, one assist and one steal in 25 minutes before an awkward landing led to the injury.
The 22nd pick in the 2024 NBA draft has made steady progress and is now fully healthy following the setback. He started ramping up activity during the playoffs and has been on the court for much of the summer in the lead up to their upcoming stint in the desert.
"I think I'm in a great spot," Holmes said after practice on Saturday. "With the team we had last year and the team we have this year, we got great guys around, great locker room guys that help out for my mental. I think I'm in a great spot."
Holmes was a consensus second-team All-American at Dayton during the 2023-24 season, averaging 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.1 blocks on 38.6% shooting from 3-point range as a junior. He was also the Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.
The 22-year-old was commended by his teammates and coaches for the way he approached his rehabilitation following such a severe injury, while maintaining a high spirit. The medical staff helped ensure a smooth recovery process for a full return this year.
"You have to start over from square one," Holmes said. "You have to learn how to walk again and run and play, so all of that stuff comes with it. I had a great environment around me last year, so I think I'm in great shape."
Nuggets summer league coach Andrew Munson said Holmes won't be under any restrictions in Las Vegas, but the team would monitor him each game. With the length of games reduced to 40 minutes, Munson added that Holmes won't be nearing that mark in any appearance.
Holmes admitted that he has thought about returning to the same arena where he was injured, but he is more excited about just playing basketball again. He is in a good position and just grateful to be back on the court again with the team.
"I haven't played a game in a year," Holmes said. "It is going to be fun. It is going to be exciting. I'll make some new mistakes, but really just trusting the process."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Bold Warriors trade proposal sends Jonathan Kuminga to surprise West rival
Bold Warriors trade proposal sends Jonathan Kuminga to surprise West rival originally appeared on The Sporting News Restricted free agent Golden State Warriors power forward Jonathan Kuminga remains very much unsigned as the summer drags on. In fact, all four of the top restricted free agents on the market — Kuminga, Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey, Philadelphia 76ers guard Quentin Grimes, and Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Cam Thomas — are still waiting for their next contracts. Because only Brooklyn has cap room at this stage in free agency, none of the other 29 NBA squads can just outright tender offers to these young players — which their own teams could match if they so choose. Kuminga appears to be dissatisfied with his situation in Golden State, where hierarchically his standing is fairly tenuous behind established-if-aging All-Stars Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green. MORE NEWS:Warriors coach Steve Kerr reveals only reason he still has his job Head coach Steve Kerr clearly doesn't trust Kuminga's offensive decision making. He holds onto the ball too long and is an erratic shooter beyond the arc. A bold new trade proposal pitches a deal for Golden State to ship Kuminga to a surprise Western Conference rival. Thomas Carelli of Fantasy Sports On SI proposes a deal that would send Kuminga to a rebuilding squad in the Western Conference — a team that has no interest in competing for anything in the present, and thus could represent an opportunity for the 6-foot-8 pro to develop on a relatively long runway. Jazz Receive: Jonathan Kuminga via-sign-and-trade Warriors Receive: Georges Niang via $8.8M Traded Player Exception, 2027 first-round pick (via the Minnesota Timberwolves), Utah's 2028 first With Carelli's proposed exchange, Golden State would add a cost-effective stretch four on an expiring contract for the present in Niang, while also restocking its future draft equity. The picks could be used in a future trade or just to add new young talent on rookie-scale deals. MORE NEWS:Warriors taking hard stance in latest Jonathan Kuminga negotiation news
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
"I've had a lot of clients who didn't want to play with Kobe" - Prominent NBA agent on why stars said no to Kobe Bryant in his final years
"I've had a lot of clients who didn't want to play with Kobe" - Prominent NBA agent on why stars said no to Kobe Bryant in his final years originally appeared on Basketball Network. By the time Kobe Bryant was limping through the final chapters of his career, the Los Lakers no longer felt like a destination. L.A. felt like a place where great players could go to watch their careers stall or unravel under crushing pressure. The fear of stepping into that locker room was real, and it was about dealing with No. 24, the merciless leader whose quest for glory came at the cost of nearly everyone around him. "I've had a lot of clients in the last five years who didn't want to play with Kobe," a top NBA agent said without hesitation in 2014. Was the man who dominated headlines and highlight reels the real reason stars passed on the Lakers? The same guy who inspired millions scared away those who should have been his teammates? Why players said no This agent knows what happens behind closed doors. When Bryant was the face of the franchise, the supporting cast became easy targets. "His teammates become the chronic public whipping boys," the agent explained. "Anyone who even dared to challenge Kobe for the spotlight turned into the team scapegoat. That's what happened with Shaq. It happened with Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard. Everyone got their turn." Bryant's words didn't help. He once told a reporter Shaq was "fat and out of shape." That kind of public criticism set a toxic tone that lingered long after the superstar big man left, taking those three Finals MVPs with him. Take Andrew Bynum's contract talks in 2012. He wanted one thing. "How are you going to rein in Kobe?" The Lakers had no answer. Bynum wanted out of the chaos. From 2012 to 2016, the Lakers cycled through dozens of players, desperate to find pieces that could survive Kobe's iron grip. The cost of being Him Kobe left a legacy few will ever match: 33,643 points, five NBA championships and a mindset built on pure willpower. But his final years were marred by injuries and a locker room that felt more like a battlefield. The Lakers made the playoffs just once after 2012. And the cracks were everywhere. Players didn't just want out because of the injuries or the losing. They left because nobody wanted to become the media's scapegoat. Because standing in Bryant's shadow meant risking your career being torn apart in public. In the agent's words, "Anyone who could challenge Kobe became a pincushion for the media." That toxic atmosphere gutted the team. Pau Gasol eventually walked away. Dwight Howard lasted just one season. Bynum's body gave out, but so did his patience. The Lakers paid the price for that in lost talent and wasted years. But here's the finality to this… Ask any of those players about Kobe now and they'll rattle off some of the nicest things that can be said about a person. Greatness has a cost, especially in the moment. Kobe was hard, but so was Micheal. So are LeBron and Steph. So were Magic and Larry. So were Russell and Chamberlain. Whether the agent spoke out of spite, or what he felt was God's truth, this article is not written to demean Kobe. The exact opposite, actually. The best player in the world can't carry a team if no one wants to stand beside him. And that's the truth the Lakers had to live with until the day their franchise icon said story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Lakers jersey history No. 3 — Jay Vincent
Through the 2024-25 season, the Los Angeles Lakers have had a total of 506 players suit up for them, going back to their days in Minneapolis. Some were forgettable, some were serviceable, some were good and a select few were flat-out legendary. As the Lakers approach their 80th season of existence (they were founded back in 1946 as the Detroit Gems in the National Basketball League), LeBron Wire is taking a look at each player who has worn their jersey, whether it has been a purple and gold one or the ones they donned back in the Midwest during their early years. We now take a look at Jay Vincent, a forward who once had a brief stint with the Lakers. Vincent grew up in Michigan, and he played four years of college basketball at Michigan State University, where he won a national championship in 1979. While there, the 6-foot-7 forward had the good fortune of being teammates with Magic Johnson. Johnson got drafted by the Lakers in 1979, while Vincent played two more years for the Spartans and led the Big Ten in scoring during both seasons. The Dallas Mavericks took him with the No. 24 overall pick in the 1981 NBA Draft. Vincent averaged 21.4 points and 7.0 rebounds a game as a rookie, and over the next several seasons, he continued to be a reliable scorer, whether he was in the starting lineup or came off the bench. After bouncing around from team to team later in the 1980s, the Lakers signed him as a free agent early in the 1989-90 season. It was something of a transition season for the Lakers, as their dynasty was starting to fade. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had retired the previous June, and veterans such as Michael Cooper and Mychal Thompson were starting to show their age. Vincent got little playing time with L.A., but he did average 3.8 points in 8.3 minutes a game while appearing in 24 contests. Following that season, Vincent played overseas for a few years. Unfortunately, in 2010, he was indicted on mail fraud charges after a company he owned allegedly scammed roughly 20,000 people out of over $2 million. He ended up getting sentenced to five and a half years in prison. This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers jersey history No. 3 — Jay Vincent
