The Denver Nuggets’ salary for the 2026-27 season is well past the NBA’s luxury tax threshold, and for a franchise that has been cheap in the past, that isn’t great news. But they could go a long way to solving the puzzle of building out their roster by bringing back Spencer Jones on a minimum contract, which is hopefully what the market is for the cash-strapped Nuggets. He should be a priority just as much as Peyton Watson for next season.

Jones would be a steal at a minimum contract for the Nuggets. While Jones isn’t exactly the most athletic, and he has a funky shot, it works. And it works very well. And he can play solid defense.

Jones is more versatile than most may realize

Jones started the season on a two-way contract for the Nuggets, but after injuries to Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun popped up early in the year, Jones found himself in the starting lineup. A lot. Jones ended up starting 37 games and was signed to a standard contract to finish the season.

It’s a good thing he was. Jones was pivotal in the Nuggets’ Game 5 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, showcasing his 3-and-D skill with a 20-point game on 4 of 5 shooting from beyond the arc. On the defense side, Jones had 3 blocks and 3 steals, and he totaled 7 blocks for the six-game series. Prototypical 3-and-D wing kind of stuff.

It’s that versatility that makes Jones so key for the Nuggets at a minimum price. We know he’s not going to score 20 every game. But he can make opposing defenses pay for sagging off of that funky release to the tune of 39.6% from deep, plus play solid enough defense, rotating for help, and hustling. He would be a big boost to the Nuggets’ bench next season. Key word: bench.

Expectations need to stay tempered

Jones can’t be expected to perform at a starter’s level of production just because he started 37 games. Jones is best suited for the second unit, where his fresh energy and grit can thrive. There’s a reason Jones would be coming back on a minimum contract, of course.

Jones ended up as the anchor of the non-Nikola Jokic minutes for the small-ball unit that head coach David Adelman rolled out in March. And it was a hit! Jones thrived on defense in the small-center role, and for five games, before other Nuggets went down to injury, they removed Jonas Valanciunas from the rotation entirely to run Jones on the non-Jokic minutes.

Jones isn’t a sure bet, but at the minimum price and the hustle he has, the Nuggets shouldn’t think twice about bringing him back to fill out the roster puzzle.

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