Pickett (knee) didn't return to Wednesday's 122-116 win over the Grizzlies after checking out of the game with 6:36 remaining in the second quarter. He finished the game with three points (1-3 FG, 1-2 3Pt) and one rebound across nine minutes.
The Nuggets labeled Pickett as questionable to return to the contest due to right knee soreness, but he didn't end up checking into the game at any point in the second half. He'll have the All-Star break to rest up and recover before Denver's next game Feb. 19 against the Clippers. The Nuggets could get Spencer Jones (concussion) back from a three-game absence coming out of the break, which might result in Pickett losing his spot in head coach David Adelman's rotation.
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Nuggets' Jalen Pickett: Questionable to return
Rotowire
Pickett is considered questionable to return to Wednesday's game against Memphis due to right knee soreness.
Pickett picked up a seemingly minor knee injury during Wednesday's game, and the issue could prevent him from returning. While Pickett is sidelined, Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway could pick up more minutes.
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Nuggets' Jalen Pickett: Drops out of rotation
Rotowire
Pickett (coach's decision) went unused off the bench Wednesday in the Nuggets' 134-127 double-overtime loss to the Knicks.
After playing just 10 minutes -- his fewest since the calendar flipped to 2026 -- in Tuesday's 124-121 loss to the Pistons, Pickett was dropped from the starting five and moved out of the rotation entirely for the second leg of a back-to-back set. Pickett's absence from the rotation may prove to be short-lived, however. Both Spencer Jones (head) and Peyton Watson (hamstring) exited the game early and didn't return, which could reopen an opportunity for Pickett if neither injured player is able to play in the Nuggets' next game Saturday in Chicago.
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Nuggets' Jalen Pickett: Coming off bench Wednesday
Rotowire
Pickett is not in the Nuggets' starting lineup against the Knicks on Wednesday.
Pickett has started in 17 of the Nuggets' last 19 games, but he has failed to score in three of his last four outings while going 3-for-14 from the field (and 1-for-11 from three-point range) over that span. He'll come off the bench for Wednesday's contest while Spencer Jones enters the Nuggets' starting five.
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Nuggets' Jalen Pickett: Scoreless in start
Rotowire
Pickett posted zero points (0-5 FG, 0-4 3Pt), one rebound, one assist and one block in 10 minutes during Tuesday's 124-121 loss to the Pistons.
Pickett remained in the starting lineup, yet he once again failed to make the most of his opportunity. He has now failed to score in three of the past four games, typically playing minutes in the mid-teens. Despite his starting role, Pickett is not someone who needs to be considered outside of the deepest fantasy leagues.
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Nuggets' Jalen Pickett: Starting sans Murray
Rotowire
Pickett will start against the Hawks on Friday.
With Jamal Murray (ankle) sidelined, Pickett will get the starting nod for the fourth time since Dec. 31. In four starts so far this season, the 26-year-old guard has averaged 12.5 points, 2.8 assists and 2.3 rebounds across 26.5 minutes per contest.
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Nuggets' Jalen Pickett: Available to play
Rotowire
Pickett (shin) is available for Wednesday's game in Boston. He will come off the bench.
Pickett logged 42 minutes as a starter during Monday's win over the 76ers, but the Nuggets were missing Christian Braun (illness), Aaron Gordon (rest), Tim Hardaway (illness) and Jamal Murray (illness) for that one. All the aforementioned players have been cleared for Wednesday's game, so Pickett will likely be returning to a reserve role with minutes in the teens.
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Nuggets' Jalen Pickett: Probable for Wednesday
Rotowire
Pickett is probable for Wednesday's game versus Boston with a left shin contusion.
Pickett was a late addition to the injury report, but it sounds like he will give it a go. Pickett recorded 29 points (11-20 FG, 7-11 3Pt), five rebounds and seven assists in 42 minutes during Monday's 125-124 overtime win over Philadelphia, but the Nuggets are expected to get Jamal Murray (ankle) and several other key players back in the mix Wednesday.
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Nuggets' Jalen Pickett: Monster outing in win
Rotowire
Pickett accumulated 29 points (11-20 FG, 7-11 3Pt), five rebounds and seven assists in 42 minutes during Monday's 125-124 overtime win over Philadelphia.
With Jamal Murray (ankle) getting a maintenance day on the second leg of this back-to-back set, among several other key players, Pickett drew the start and put up quite the performance as the Nuggets pulled out the win. Pickett really struggled in his previous three starts this season, posting averages of 7.0 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 21.3 minutes per game.
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Nuggets' Jalen Pickett: Fares well off bench
Rotowire
Pickett totaled nine points (3-7 FG, 3-6 3Pt), three rebounds and seven assists over 24 minutes during Thursday's 126-115 win over the Magic.
With several players injured in Denver, Pickett has emerged with some solid performances recently. Over his last three appearances, Pickett has averaged 6.7 points, 4.7 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 2.0 three-pointers in 21.6 minutes per contest.
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Nuggets' Jalen Pickett: Logs 16 minutes in win
Rotowire
Pickett ended with five points (2-3 FG, 1-2 3Pt), four rebounds, three assists and one steal across 16 minutes during Sunday's 115-106 win over the Hornets.
Desperate times have called for Pickett to join the rotation Sunday, as the Nuggets are dealing with a slew of injuries to key contributors. However, it is unclear whether Pickett will see regular minutes on the court, as he eclipsed 10 minutes of playing time just three times this season, and he is not a reliable fantasy option in any format.
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Nuggets' Jalen Pickett: Reverting back to bench Tuesday
Rotowire
Pickett won't start Tuesday's game against the Kings, Brenden Nunes of KHTK Sactown Sports 1140 reports.
With Jamal Murray (calf) returning from a one-game absence, Pickett will move back to the second unit. Over four appearances off the bench this season, the 26-year-old guard has averaged 2.5 points and 1.5 assists in just 5.3 minutes per contest.
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Nuggets' Jalen Pickett: Invisible in spot start
Rotowire
Pickett closed Saturday's 117-100 victory over Indiana with two points (1-4 FG, 0-1 3Pt) and one rebound over 18 minutes.
Pickett was barely noticeable despite moving into the starting lineup, a position he assumed following a calf injury to Jamal Murray. Based on this performance, it's hard to see the coaching staff showing much faith in him moving forward. He can safely be left on all fantasy waiver wires.
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Nuggets' Jalen Pickett: Scores six points
Rotowire
Pickett closed Sunday's 125-93 loss to Oklahoma City in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals with six points (2-5 FG, 2-5 3Pt), two rebounds and two assists across 10 minutes.
Pickett was used pretty sparingly in his second NBA season, averaging 4.1 points, 2.2 assists and 1.4 rebounds while shooting 39.6 percent from beyond the arc in 13.6 minutes across 49 regular-season appearances. Russell Westbrook holds a player option for 2025-26 and struggled to close out the playoffs, so there's a scenario in which Pickett opens next season as the primary backup behind Jamal Murray.
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Nuggets' Jalen Pickett: Logs seven minutes
Rotowire
Pickett ended with two points (1-2 FG, 0-1 3Pt) and one assist in seven minutes during Monday's 105-102 loss to the Clippers in Game 2 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
The Nuggets used a nine-man rotation in Game 2, but Pickett's role has been extremely minor -- he's seen a total of 12 minutes through two games. Denver seems content to roll with Russell Westbrook as the primary guard off the bench.
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Nuggets' Jalen Pickett: Back to bench
Rotowire
Pickett won't start Friday's game against the Grizzlies.
With Jamal Murray (hamstring) returning from a six-game absence, Pickett will shift to a bench role after scoring a career-high 18 points (6-10 FG, 5-7 3Pt, 1-2 FT) during Wednesday's win over the Kings. As a reserve this season (42 games), Pickett has averaged 12.2 minutes per game.
Pickett ended with 18 points (6-10 FG, 5-7 3Pt, 1-2 FT), one rebound, four assists and one steal over 31 minutes during Wednesday's 124-116 win over the Kings.
Making his fourth start in the last five games while Jamal Murray (hamstring) has been sidelined, Pickett established new career highs in points and made three-pointers. The second-year guard has played over 20 minutes in all six games that Murray has missed so far, averaging 9.3 points, 4.7 assists, 3.7 boards and 1.8 threes in 27.8 minutes a contest.
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Nuggets' Jalen Pickett: Back to bench role
Rotowire
Pickett is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Warriors.
The Nuggets rested their entire starting unit against the Spurs on Wednesday but will be close to full strength for this contest, so it's not surprising to see Pickett heading back to the bench. He's not likely to play a significant role off the bench in this game with massive playoff implications, so his fantasy appeal for this contest will be close to minimal.
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Nuggets' Jalen Pickett: Turns in first career triple-double
Rotowire
Pickett supplied 17 points (6-13 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 11 rebounds, 10 assists and one steal in 35 minutes during Wednesday's 113-106 loss to San Antonio.
It was a standout showing by Pickett, who turned in his first career triple-double while also setting new career highs in points, boards and dimes. Although the Nuggets held their entire starting lineup out of action Wednesday, Pickett showed what he's capable of when given the opportunity for an expanded role. The 2023 second-rounder hasn't been a routine member of the rotation when Denver is at full strength, therefore Pickett could be hard-pressed to find this level of usage on a consistent basis.
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Nuggets' Jalen Pickett: Logs 14 points in blowout loss
Rotowire
Pickett closed with 14 points (5-9 FG, 4-6 3Pt), four rebounds, five assists and two steals across 19 minutes during Wednesday's 120-108 loss to the Lakers.
With the game out of hand, Denver dug into its depleted roster and gave Pickett 19 minutes, and he did swift damage with the opportunity. The 2023 second-round pick out of Penn State has bounced back and forth between the parent club and the Grand Rapids Gold in the G League, and he'll likely remain in Denver while the team deals with multiple injuries.
