Trevon Brazile’s NBA Summer League start has already hit a snag.
The former Arkansas big man, now with the Denver Nuggets, is dealing with a right shoulder strain and will not play against the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to The Denver Gazette on Saturday. Brazile, listed at 6-foot-10, had just made his Summer League debut Friday in Denver’s loss to the Houston Rockets, finishing with five points and 11 rebounds.
For Brazile, the setback fits an all-too-familiar pattern. Injury has followed him before, most notably in his first season at Arkansas in 2022-23, when he tore his ACL after only nine games. Even with Brazile sidelined, the Razorbacks still pushed on to the Sweet 16.
His shoulder has been an issue before, too. Brazile appeared to injure it in Arkansas’ Round of 32 win over High Point in March, but he returned after heading to the locker room. He then started and logged 25 minutes in the Sweet 16 loss to Arizona.
Denver does have two days before its next Summer League game, a Tuesday matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Whether Brazile plays then is another question, and it’s hard to imagine the Nuggets rushing him back for a Summer League game. Still, those minutes matter for a young player trying to carve out a role, and Brazile likely needs every chance he can get over the next two weeks to show he belongs in the rotation during his rookie season.
If he sits Tuesday, his next chance to get on the floor would be July 16 against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Brazile is the first rookie Razorback to suffer an injury during summer league action.
Elsewhere, neither Darius Acuff nor Meleek Thomas played Saturday, though both are set to take the floor Sunday. Acuff’s Kings face the Washington Wizards on Sunday night, while Thomas and the Cavaliers meet the Detroit Pistons on Sunday afternoon.
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