Aaron Gordon was cleared on Saturday after being listed day-to-day a day earlier, removing him from Denver's injury report. He is on track for the Nuggets' season opener Thursday at Oklahoma City.
What happened
The Nuggets cleared Aaron Gordon on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 2:50 p.m. ET, lifting the day-to-day tag he carried into the weekend. He had been marked day-to-day for rest on Friday, Oct. 16. That followed a stretch in September when he was cleared from day-to-day on Sept. 13, then listed day-to-day again the same day, after an earlier day-to-day designation for a left calf issue on Sept. 6. The report does not include a detail or comment on Saturday's clearance.
What it means for the Nuggets
Denver opens its season Thursday, Oct. 22 at the Thunder at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, and Gordon's clearance means he is not a question mark heading into it. Last season he averaged 16.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 27.9 minutes across 36 games. The Nuggets have not played a regular-season game yet, so there is no record with or without him this season. When he has sat in the past, Denver has leaned on Christian Braun, Cameron Johnson, Peyton Watson and Tim Hardaway Jr. for extra minutes.
What to watch
Gordon is no longer on the injury report, so there is no return timeline to track for him. The Nuggets still list Julian Strawther as out with a left knee issue and Spencer Jones as day-to-day with a hamstring issue. The next injury report update comes before Thursday's season opener at Oklahoma City.
Is Aaron Gordon playing at Thunder on Oct. 22?
He is not listed on the injury report after being cleared Saturday, Oct. 17, putting him on track to play in Denver's season opener at Oklahoma City.
When will Aaron Gordon be back?
He is already back. The Nuggets cleared him from day-to-day on Saturday, Oct. 17, and no expected return date was needed since he is no longer sidelined.