Forward Spencer Jones has become a regular part of the Denver Nuggets’ rotation this season, starting 31 games and averaging 23.5 minutes per night for the Western Conference’s third-place team.
However, Jones is playing on a two-way contract that limits him to 50 regular-season games, and he’s now just three games away from that threshold after appearing in 43 contests, with four early DNP-CDs, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.
Denver has informed the player and his representatives that the team plans to promote him to a standard NBA contract, but the timing remains uncertain.
Jones understands the decision may not come until around the trade deadline, which could force him to sit out games to avoid exceeding his eligibility.
“You want to figure out, where you’ve got a championship push, everything you need to make that push. So yeah, I always knew the decision wasn’t going to be until the (trade) deadline, (that it) won’t be decided until around then,” Jones said.
“I may run out of games before then. So they’ve mentioned the possibility of sitting out one or two just ’cause. So we’ll see how it pans out.”
While the Nuggets have an open roster spot and could convert Jones immediately, they are expected to keep flexibility heading into the deadline.
Denver is also about $400K above the luxury tax and has made avoiding the tax a priority, meaning Jones’ promotion may depend on a small salary-shedding move.
“Whatever happens with Spence, he’ll be fine,” head coach David Adelman said. “What he’s done and what he’s put on tape is a professional basketball player that belongs in a rotation. And he’s earned it.”
A postponed game earlier this month gave Jones some breathing room, but with four games left before the deadline, he may still need to sit one out if his contract isn’t finalized in time.
Spencer Jones Among Two-Way Players Nearing Active-Game Limit https://t.co/62JHVWcBFU pic.twitter.com/JeT9qRsF9S
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) January 30, 2026
