Nuggets Granted $1.53M Disabled Player Exception For DaRon Holmes’ Achilles Injury

The Denver Nuggets received a disabled player exception worth $1.53 million on Thursday for rookie DaRon Holmes, who suffered a torn Achilles during the fourth quarter of his first NBA Summer League game against the Los Angeles Clippers on July 12.

Holmes, who turns 22 on Aug. 15, is expected to miss the entire 2024-25 NBA season. Per Spotrac, the exception is worth precisely $1,532,820, half of the rookie’s $3,065,640 salary for the 2024-25 campaign.

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

A disabled player exception gives an NBA team extra spending power. However, it does not provide an additional 15-man roster spot. The injury will oftentimes still hurt a team more often than help.

When and if it is granted, the disabled player exception allows a club to sign a replacement player for 50% of the injured player’s salary or for the amount of the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception. Whichever is lesser gets applied.

Denver Nuggets moved up six spots in the 2024 NBA draft to select DaRon Holmes out of Dayton

Following an awkward landing while attempting to contest a pass from Kobe Brown with about 4:15 remaining, Holmes limped off the court without any help and barely any weight on his right leg.

He left UNLV’s Cox Pavilion arena on crutches. The Nuggets traded three second-round picks to the Phoenix Suns to move up six spots in the 2024 NBA draft (from No. 28 to No. 22) to acquire the rights to Holmes.

Furthermore, Denver selected Holmes out of the University of Dayton. The injury is a significant loss to the Nuggets’ frontcourt. At 6-foot-9 and 235 pounds, Holmes was projected to become the primary backup forward for Denver this season.

The Nuggets must now rely on Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson as their top two power forwards. Holmes’ rotation minutes have now been divided between Dario Saric and Vlatko Cancar, playing behind Nikola Jokic.

In his final year of college basketball at Dayton in the 2023-24 season, Holmes averaged career highs of 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. He won Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.

As the No. 22 overall pick, Holmes became the fourth Flyer to be an NBA first-round draft pick. He joined Obi Toppin, Johnny Horan, and Jim Paxson.