“It’s your dreams coming true. It’s almost like you can’t get too emotional because it doesn’t feel like it’s real,” DaRon Holmes II said in a recent interview about his time in Denver. The short time he got to familiarize himself with the ‘Mile High City’ before being whizzed off for Mini Camp and then Summer League, that is. Unfortunately, his debut in the Summer League is as close as he is going to get to “real” NBA experience.

Late in the 4th quarter, Holmes, playing active defense, fell to the floor, only to get up with difficulty and a limp. Suffice it to say that he was done for the night. Holmes finished with 11 points and 7 rebounds, going 3-of-3 from downtown in 26 minutes of game time.

But the real blow was later confirmed by Shams Charania of The Athletic, among others, that the Dayton product “suffered a torn right Achilles tendon … He’s expected to miss the 2024-25 season.” That is expected, given that players with Achilles injuries do tend to take an entire season to get back in shape.

Kevin Durant, for example, tore his Achilles during the 2019 NBA Finals while he was playing for the Warriors. He missed the 2019-20 season, suiting up for the Nets in December 2020. Coming back to DaRon Holmes II, the Nuggets further announced in July that the rookie underwent surgery to repair the torn tendon.

However, if there’s one thing we know about DaRon Holmes II already, it is that the 22-year-old is crazy positive. The consensus second-team All-American described his situation as a “blessing in disguise.” 

The transition from college basketball to the NBA is a tough process. At the most basic level, switching from 35 to 82 games in itself is hectic. While these youngsters come to the league full of energy and ready to do anything, the reality is they would vastly benefit from development in the G League or simply acquaint themselves with the ways of the team. And Holmes is intent on doing just that.

“There are still ways I can make an impact without being in the game,” the 6’10 forward said cheerfully. “On the sidelines, being able to be a great teammate, being able to watch and learn and listen, cheer my teammates on, being able to help out the other rookies with things. That stuff is going to be very important.” The youngster’s attitude is undeniably optimistic, but at the end of the day, he won’t be able to make an on-court impact, something that Denver side was seriously looking forward to.

The Nuggets traded BIG to ensure they got their hands on DaRon Holmes II

The 22nd pick of this year’s draft- Denver had their eyes on the Kansas native. And in order to secure Holmes, the Nuggets traded with the Suns to land him. The trade package included the 28th (Ryan Dunn, Virginia University) and 56th picks, the latter of which Phoenix traded to the Knicks, a 2026 and 2031 second-round pick.

Suffice it to say, the Nuggets really wanted DaRon Holmes II. Hence, this likely season-ending injury looks like a bad deal. The 2023 champs are looking to get their title-winning form back again. And with key pieces of the roster that led the team to the title already disbanded- 3-and-D weapon KCP, veteran guard Reggie Jackson, as well as Bruce Brown and Jeff Green who already left in the offseason prior – the Nikola Jokic-led side was hoping to start DaRon Holmes right away, per NBA reporter, Mark Medina.

If the Nuggets did play him, it would likely be as an active backup for big man, Aaron Gordon. And Holmes’ final season in Dayton, the best of his three years with the Flyers, saw him posting some insane numbers. He averaged 20.4 points and 2.6 assists while shooting an efficient 54.4% from the field. His 7-foot wingspan is also no joke, helping him grab 8.5 rebounds and more than 2 blocks per game.

There’s no doubt that he could’ve contributed if not for the unfortunate circumstance. In Jokic’s words, “it is what it is.” All we can hope is he comes back stronger next season.

In the meantime, if you would like more basketball content, why don’t you check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Asia Avinger?