Denver Nuggets rookie Tamar Bates will be sidelined for at least 12 weeks, the team said in a Twitter post.

“Two-way guard Tamar Bates underwent surgery today to repair a Left Foot Fracture,” the Nuggets tweeted. “Tamar will be re-evaluated in 12 weeks, and updates will be provided when necessary.”

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It is unclear when Bates was injured. But the 22-year-old, on a two-way deal and who has spent the entire season with the Nuggets G-League squad, didn’t play in the Grand Rapids Gold contest yesterday. He did play on Friday night in the Gold’s 119-106 victory over the Greensboro Swarm, tallying 18 points, three rebounds, and two steals in 33 minutes.

The three-month timeline means that Bates won’t likely return to the court until April at the earliest. The G League regular season concludes at the end of March, and the NBA playoffs begin in the middle of April. Therefore, it is conceivable that the 6-4 guard won’t play again this year.

As a result, Denver may decide to waive Bates to open up a minor league spot. Bates’ deal is for one year and does not count against the salary cap, so the Nuggets have no penalties if they decide to go that route. Even if Bates is waived, expect the Nuggets to re-sign him this summer to another two-way deal.

Known for his shooting and defensive ability in college, Bates went undrafted in 2025. However, Bate signed a two-way deal with the Nuggets in early July and had a solid showing in the Las Vegas Summer League.  He didn’t see much action in the preseason, though he was off to a solid start with the Gold.

Bates averaged 19.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.6 steals in 33.2 minutes over 13 appearances. Bates also knocked down 2.0 threes a game with shooting splits of 55.6/43.3/90.3.  He produced one double-double and scored in double figures 12 times, scoring 20 or more points six times and hitting the 30-point mark twice.

Spencer Jones Impressing

While Bates has not made his NBA debut, Spencer Jones –– one of the Nuggets’ other players on a two-way deal — has thrived in year two with the franchise. Jones has been a significant part of the Nuggets’ rotation as Aaron Gordon, Julian Strawther, and Christian Braun have missed considerable time in the early going.

With Braun and Gordon out for at least another week, Jones figures to remain in the rotation. Jones started his 13th straight game in Denver’s 135-112  win over Utah Monday night. While Jones struggled, finishing with 3 points on 1 of 6 shooting and three rebounds in 20 minutes, he posted a +23 rating.

A hybrid forward, Jones is a high-IQ team defender who is an efficient scorer and excellent in catch-and-shoot situations. Jones entered the Jazz game averaging 8.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in his 12 previous starts. He has scored in double-figures three times, tossing in a career-high 28 points against Dallas on December 1.

Denver improved to 21-7 with the win over Utah. The Nuggets have won nine of the 13 games Jones has started. Overall, the 24-year-old averages 5.0 points on 55% shooting from the field and 39% from beyond the arc.

Jones Could Get A Contract Soon

With Jones playing in 24 of the first 28 Nuggets games, the franchise will likely have a decision to make before the end of the season. Granted, he will likely only see spot minutes when the Nuggets are fully healthy. But he has shown that he deserves to remain part of the Nuggets’ second unit (10th or 11th man).

On a two-way deal, Jones is only allowed to play in 50 games. The good news is that the Nuggets have an open roster spot so that no subsequent move will be required. The Nuggets are already over the tax threshold, so expect the move to become soon, though they could choose to maintain flexibility until the trade deadline passes on February 6.

 

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