NBA Notes: Nuggets, Cameron Johnson, Magic, Paolo Banchero, Terry Rozier

Nuggets

The Nuggets may have another injury issue to manage.

Forward Cameron Johnson limped off the floor during the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s game against Dallas after injuring his right knee.

Johnson will undergo an MRI to determine the severity, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

Johnson had started 27 games entering Tuesday, averaging 11.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists in just under 31 minutes per night.

He was coming off a 20-point performance in a win over Utah the previous evening. Acquired from Brooklyn over the summer, Johnson is in the third year of a four-year, $94.5 million contract.

Denver is already without two starters. Christian Braun has been sidelined since November 12 with an ankle injury, while Aaron Gordon hasn’t played since November 21 due to a hamstring issue.

If Johnson misses extended time, the Nuggets are expected to lean more heavily on Tim Hardaway Jr., Bruce Brown and Julian Strawther as they navigate a crowded holiday schedule.

Magic

Magic star Paolo Banchero isn’t buying the narrative.

Banchero dismissed the idea that he and Franz Wagner struggle to coexist, calling the perception misguided in comments to Josh Robbins of The Athletic.

“I think that’s bull—,” Banchero said, via Robbins. “We know that we’re at our strongest when both of us are out there on the floor.”

He pushed back on claims that Orlando’s offense flows better when only one of them plays, insisting the approach remains consistent regardless of who’s on the floor.

Banchero also addressed his shooting struggles. Entering Tuesday’s game against Portland, he was shooting 43.4 percent from the field and a career-low 23.7 percent from three.

He attributed some of that to the groin strain that cost him 10 games earlier this season.

“It was definitely a setback,” Banchero said. “I knew coming back it would take some time.”

Gambling Case

Attorneys for Terry Rozier have filed a motion to dismiss federal charges against the Heat guard, according to David Purdum of ESPN.

Rozier pleaded not guilty earlier this month to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering in Brooklyn federal court.

He was released on a $3 million bond secured by his Florida home and has been on league leave since his arrest on October 23.

In a motion made public Tuesday, attorney Jim Trusty argued that prosecutors failed to clearly establish a wire fraud offense and were instead attempting to “enforce its view of integrity in sports wagering.”

Trusty wrote that the indictment centers on alleged violations of sportsbook terms of service, rather than game manipulation.

Legal experts cited by Purdum noted that wire fraud charges require proof of intent to deprive a victim of money or property, a standard Trusty argues the government has not met.

The government’s response to the motion is due February 2.