Nuggets’ Early Standout May Have Locked Up New Contract

The Denver Nuggets, in the midst of their early season injuries to Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon to leave this starting lineup a bit shorthanded, have been able to see one notable bright spot that 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 lengthy, plus defender who's made the most of his opportunities, and even someone who's started four games with the latest injury absences.

He's averaging just over 13 minutes a night with just 2.9 points a game, but he's shooting 40.0% from three, and more than anything, has brought the ideal length and defensive upside this team needs while short of a pair of their best players on that end of the floor.

But there's one noteworthy factor to take into consideration when discussing Jones: he's still not on a traditional NBA contract.

The 24-year-old wing is in his second year with the Nuggets on a two-way contract, and with the terms of his deal, is only allowed 50 games on Denver's regular season roster before needing to be signed onto the main roster.

Based on his early sample size in year two, though, he feels pretty deserving of being promoted to that full-time spot on the main roster.

Has Spencer Jones Locked Up a Traditional Contract?

For the Nuggets, they might be in a perfect place to provide him with that opportunity with a traditional deal. Denver has just 14 players on their main roster outside of their two-way signees, just one short of the NBA roster limit to provide flexibility to add another name on for the remainder of the season.

The Nuggets could very well opt to bring in outside talent via trade or a late-season free agency pickup, but with the role that Jones has carved himself into, even being trusted as a starter for multiple nights in a row while Braun and Gordon are forced out, that could be enough to push Denver to stay in-house for that final roster spot and sign their two-way standout to an contract.

That contract can also be one that's notably affordable, and for a Nuggets team looking to save cash however they can for an expensive roster as-is, cheap talent comes at a premium.