Sam Presti turned up the temperature on Denver\u2019s offseason. The Nuggets welcomed the heat.<\/p>\n
Faced with a decision between losing restricted free agent Spencer Jones to a rival contender for nothing in return or entering the NBA\u2019s dreaded second apron, the Nuggets chose the latter Sunday night. They are matching Oklahoma City\u2019s two-year, $12 million offer sheet to Jones<\/a>, a league source told The Denver Post, warding off the Thunder general manager\u2019s shrewd attempt to poach the 25-year-old wing.<\/p>\n Jones will remain in Denver. His new contract will pay him $6 million next season, a significant upgrade from the $2 million per year offer that he declined in February when Denver converted him from a two-way contract. He joined the team as an undrafted free agent out of Stanford in 2024.<\/p>\n With the move to retain him, the Nuggets have entered the second apron, at least temporarily. Presti gave Jones the offer sheet after Oklahoma City had already executed several cost-cutting moves this offseason to duck the same threshold, which only one team (Cleveland) exceeded last season. The second apron is a luxury tax mechanism introduced in the 2023 collective bargaining agreement\u00a0that imposes severe financial and roster-building restrictions on teams with exceptionally high payrolls.<\/p>\n The Nuggets have not finished a season in the second apron since its creation. They\u00a0could still make other moves to maneuver out of it this summer or before the trade deadline next\u00a0season. If they finish the 2026-27 league year over the apron, their 2034 first-round draft pick will become \u201cfrozen\u201d and ineligible to be traded.<\/p>\n After matching OKC\u2019s offer sheet on Jones, Denver has 12 players under contract next season on the 15-man roster and an estimated $68 million luxury tax bill, according to ESPN front office expert Bobby Marks. That\u2019s not accounting for Peyton Watson, another restricted free agent who\u2019s not currently on Denver\u2019s books.<\/p>\n The luxury tax bill will increase exponentially with every dollar added to the payroll due to Denver\u2019s status as a \u201crepeater tax\u201d team.<\/p>\n