The Nuggets decided to use a two-way spot on Spencer Jones because they saw some potential as a versatile wing who could develop into an NBA-caliber player on both ends of the court. But they definitely didn’t anticipate needing to thrust Jones into the rotation in the early weeks of the season, and certainly not being forced to make him a starter by November.
Thanks to injuries and stellar two-way play from Jones, that’s exactly what has happened. Jones was earning minutes early in the season thanks to his defense, but as key wing players started going down one after another, Jones’ role only grew.
Now, we’re 30 games into the season, and Jones has played in 26 of them, starting 15. He has been a rock-solid three-point shooter, a very good defender, and perhaps most importantly, someone his coaches and teammates trust.
The undrafted 6-foot-7, 24-year-old has been a revelation, and the Nuggets deserve a lot of credit for having the vision. With Christian Braun, Aaron Gordon, and Cam Johnson all missing big chunks of time, they’ve really needed Jones, and frankly, they’d be in trouble without him.
Nuggets must convert Jones’ contract
The problem for Denver is that because Jones is on a two-way contract, he’s running out of NBA eligibility quickly, and as of now, his last game would be January 30th. The Nuggets have an open roster spot, and they need to go out and convert Jones’ deal to make sure he’s on the roster and eligible to play all season and into the playoffs.
They should lock him up for multiple years and make sure he continues his development in Denver on a team-friendly deal. The Nuggets have been keeping the spot open to try and find one last rotation player, and they’ve done so with Jones. Now, they need to make it official.
If there were any holdup from the front office, it’s that the team is a mere $402K over the luxury tax, and ownership would love to dip below that threshold. But they certainly can’t afford to do that at the cost of letting Jones go, or not being able to use him beyond January.
If cutting money is essential, there are other ways they can do it, like finding a way to dump Zeke Nnaji’s salary (not as easy as it may sound). But obviously, the most satisfactory solution would be ownership deciding not to be cheap and paying what it takes to maximize the current championship window.
They have trade exceptions and young players. They have the means to keep improving. But they are going to have to spend some money to do it. Signing Jones is the first step, and it’s a very obvious one to make.