The Denver Nuggets, amid early-season injuries to Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon to make this starting lineup a bit smaller, have been able to look at one notable bright spot which is second-year forward Spencer Jones.
Jones, the Nuggets’ 6-foot-7, two-way wing, has emerged as a nightly impact player within the Nuggets rotation as a tall, plus defender who has made the most of his opportunities, and even as one who has started four games with the latest injury absence.
He’s averaging just over 13 minutes of playing time with just 2.9 points a night, but he’s shooting 40.0% from three, and more than anything, brings the ideal length and defensive positioning this team needs while lacking a pair of their best players on that end of the floor.
But there’s one notable factor to keep in mind when discussing Jones: He’s still not on a traditional NBA contract.
The 24-year-old wing is in his second year on a two-way contract with the Nuggets, and with the terms of his deal, he is only allowed 50 games on Denver’s regular season roster before being signed to the main roster.
However, based on his early sample size in year two, he feels quite worthy of being promoted to that full-time spot on the main roster.
Has Spencer Jones closed a traditional contract?
As for the Nuggets, they may be in a perfect spot to offer him that opportunity with a traditional deal. Denver’s main roster has only 14 players in addition to their two-way signees, which is just one short of the NBA roster limit, which provides the flexibility to add one more name for the remainder of the season.
The Nuggets could very well opt to bring in outside talent via trade or late-season free agency pickup, but given the role Jones has carved himself into, even being trusted as the starter for multiple nights in a row while Braun and Gordon have been sidelined, it could be enough for Denver to stay home for that final roster spot and sign their two-way standout to a contract. Is.
That contract may also be one that is particularly affordable, and for a Nuggets team that wants to save as much cash as possible for an expensive roster, affordable talent comes at a premium.
Denver won’t have to make an immediate decision on Jones’ future. With still less than 20 games left in the regular season campaign, he has plenty of time left on his two-way deal before the Nuggets will have to make a big commitment to him.
Still, if he maintains his current pace while establishing trust in the building with his teammates and the coaching staff, it will be hard for him to remain off the roster until the end of the year.
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