To save money and flexibility, the Nuggets chose to enter the regular season with only 14 players on full-time contracts, with one remaining open roster spot. There are a number of ways they could fill (or not fill) that spot, but in recent weeks, it has become abundantly clear that the team should offer that final spot to one of their two-way players, Spencer Jones.
The 24-year-old entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Stanford, and got his first crack with Portland for summer league in 2024. He didn’t earn a spot, but he did enough to catch the eye of the Nuggets, who signed him to a two-way deal for the 2024-25 season.
Jones spent most of the season in the G League with the Grand Rapids Gold, and not much thought was given to his future prospects. But he earned another shot over the summer, with Denver re-signing him to another two-way deal, but he played so well in the preseason that he earned a real shot, and he’s made the most of his NBA playing time, carving out a starting job thanks to injuries.
Since Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon have gone out with injuries, Jones has stepped into the starting lineup and helped keep the team afloat. His size and defense have been instrumental, and that’s what initially bought him a shot to see the floor, but now his offensive game is coming around as well.
Spencer Jones becoming a reliable 3-point shooter
Jones has had recent scoring outbursts of 16 and 28 points on separate occasions, and for the season, he’s now shooting over 45% from three-point range on 31 attempts. It’s still a small sample, but it’s getting bigger, and he’s only playing better.
He’s making it hard for David Adelman to keep him off the floor, and with no return in sight for Gordon or Braun, the team is going to need him for the foreseeable future. Which means the Nuggets are going to have to convert his contract, or he’ll run out of eligibility.
Players on two-way contracts are capped at 50 games per season with an NBA team, and Jones has already appeared in 19, including 8 starts. He has made himself an important part of the team, and he’s not someone they can afford to, essentially lose in a few months.
With the final roster spot still open, the Nuggets should get out ahead of this issue and sign Jones to a real deal to keep this young, cheap 3&D wing for the rest of the Jokic era.