The Denver Nuggets didn’t hesitate nearly as long as the timing made it seem. When they matched the Oklahoma City Thunder’s offer sheet for Spencer Jones, the move landed as a surprise to a lot of people around the league. But according to one Nuggets front office executive, the decision was never really in doubt.
“We couldn't let Spencer go. He's an important player for us, and that's a value contract. No-brainer to match that and keep Spencer home in Denver,” Smith says a Nuggets front office executive told him.
That kind of language says plenty. The Nuggets were willing to push past the NBA’s second-apron luxury tax line and still bring Jones back on a two-year, $12 million extension. They also waited until the final couple of hours before making it official, but the front office’s view appears to have been clear all along.
Jones earned that trust last season after beginning the year on a two-way contract and forcing his way into the rotation. Injuries thinned out the roster early and often, and he became a useful piece almost immediately. By the end of the season, he had started 37 games and added three playoff starts, carving out a real role rather than just filling minutes.
The scoring numbers were modest - 5.5 points per game - but that was never the point. Jones did the dirty work the Nuggets needed: running the floor, setting screens and staying ready to fire when shots came his way. He knocked down 39.6% of his threes on 2.3 attempts per game and shot 50.4% overall, which made him exactly the kind of low-maintenance role player Denver wanted on that deal.
He also brought a physical defensive presence. Jones is a wing who can slide into the center spot in the small-ball looks head coach David Adelman liked to use, and he plays with the kind of edge that makes him hard to ignore. That hustle is part of what made him so valuable - and part of what Oklahoma City clearly wanted to pry away.
Now that the Nuggets’ offseason situation settles, Jones should be back in the rotation again in 2026-27. That was far from a given a year ago, when many people didn’t expect him to stick. He proved otherwise, and Denver clearly believes he’s still an important player for them moving forward.
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For now, Denver does not have much margin there. Tyus Jones is the only true point guard behind Murray, which leaves the team thin in a spot where steadiness matters. The front office is at least looking at veteran-minimum guard options and trade possibilities to add depth, and names like Aaron Holiday, Killian Hayes and Russell Westbrook are part of the conversation as the Nuggets try to make sure the second unit is not a nightly problem. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Could Reshape Their Wing Rotation With One Risky Move
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Watsons camp is believed to be aiming well above the offers that have come his way, which is part of what makes this a tricky negotiation for both sides. Cleveland has also been linked to a framework involving Max Strus and draft compensation, but the real question is whether the sides can bridge the gap without either team backing away from a move that could reshape its wing rotation. [Read more 🡒]