Jones was underrated this past season.
A 54-28 record and the third seed in the Western Conference were not enough to save the Denver Nuggets from a first-round exit against the Minnesota Timberwolves in six games, and now the front office heads into the summer with a full plate of decisions to sort through.
Among the most important decisions facing the team is what to do with restricted free agent Spencer Jones, and the answer should be simple. Bring him back.
Jones entered the season as a relative unknown on a two-way contract worth less than $650,000, the kind of player who might bounce between the G League and the end of the bench for years without ever getting a real shot. Instead, he turned the opportunity in front of him into something much bigger.
The 24-year-old forward appeared in 64 regular season games and started 37 of them, averaging 5.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game on 50.4 percent shooting from the field and 39.6 percent from three.
Denver converted his contract to a standard deal in February after it became clear he was far too valuable to lose.
He Fits What Denver Needs Around Jokic
The Nuggets have built everything around Nikola Jokic, who averaged 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists this season, and the formula for success alongside him has always been the same.
Surround him with guys who can shoot, defend and play without needing the ball.
Jones checks all of those boxes.
He connected on 41 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes and held opponents to 45 percent shooting as the nearest defender, the kind of two-way impact that makes a roster better in ways the box score does not always capture.
Injuries hammered Denver's forward rotation all year, and Jones was the one who kept stepping in without missing a beat.
When Aaron Gordon went down, Jones filled the gap.
When David Adelman needed a versatile wing who could guard multiple positions on any given night, Jones was the answer.
He even posted a career-high 28 points against Dallas on 11-of-15 shooting back in December, a game that showed the kind of ceiling he could reach with consistent minutes.
What It Might Cost to Keep Him
Jones' restricted free agent status gives the Nuggets the ability to match any offer sheet, and because they hold his Bird Rights they can go over the cap to retain him.
Reports indicate that Denver plans to run it back with mostly the same core, and with Jokic expected to sign a massive extension that locks the franchise in for the long haul, keeping affordable pieces around him matters more than ever.
A two-year deal somewhere in the range of $6 to $7 million annually feels like a fair bet for both sides.
With the 2026 NBA Draft on the horizon and Peyton Watson's own free agency adding another layer of difficulty, the Nuggets cannot afford to let a cost-effective contributor like Jones walk without a fight.
He proved this season that he belongs, and at his price point, bringing him back is one of the smarter moves Denver can make.
