The Inevitable Promotion: Why Spencer Jones Has Earned Denver’s Final Roster Spot

The Denver Nuggets have been operating with an open 15th roster spot for the entirety of the 2025-2026 season, a common strategy used by title contenders to maintain financial flexibility and trade optionality. However, the decision on how to fill that final spot—or rather, who to fill it with—has gone from a strategic discussion to an obvious and necessary operational move: Spencer Jones, the team’s two-way contract wing, has earned the full-time promotion.¹

 

The emergence of Jones, particularly in the face of key injuries, has made the choice a no-brainer for the Nuggets’ front office, and delaying the decision now carries substantial risk.²

 

The Emergency Answer Becomes the Necessity

The immediate need for Jones has been created by the simultaneous absence of two of Denver’s most critical defensive wings:³

 

• Aaron Gordon (hamstring strain)⁴

   

• Christian Braun (ankle injury)⁵

   

In their absence, the Nuggets’ defense has struggled, highlighting how thin their wing depth truly is. The team’s defensive rating has cratered during this stretch, placing a massive burden on Nikola Jokic.⁶

 

Enter Spencer Jones. The 24-year-old undrafted free agent out of Stanford, who began the season on a two-way contract, has been a revelation.⁷

 

• Immediate Impact: Jones has not only found his way into the rotation but has stepped into the starting lineup for multiple games to fill the void left by Gordon and Braun.⁸ This level of trust from the coaching staff speaks volumes.

   

• Defensive Fit: At 6-foot-7, Jones brings the ideal length and defensive versatility that the Nuggets crave.⁹ He has proven capable of guarding multiple positions and helping to mitigate the defensive drop-off caused by the absences.¹⁰

   

• Offensive Surprise: Initially viewed as primarily a defensive specialist, Jones’s offensive game has rapidly improved.¹¹ He is shooting over 45% from three-point range on a small but growing sample size of attempts and has had multiple scoring outbursts.¹² His ability to hit open shots makes him a perfect “3-and-D” complement to Jokic.

   

The Contractual Time Bomb

The primary reason this move has become “painfully obvious” is the restrictive nature of his current contract. As a two-way player, Jones is subject to strict limitations that will soon remove him from the rotation just as the team needs him most.¹³

 

Limitation	Spencer Jones’s Status	Ramifications
Game Limit	Capped at 50 games on the active roster.	Jones has already appeared in 19 games (as of early December) and is in the starting lineup. He will run out of eligibility well before the end of the regular season.
Playoff Eligibility	Ineligible to participate in the NBA Playoffs.	If he is not signed to a standard contract by the regular season’s end, the Nuggets will lose a key rotation piece for their title defense.

By promoting Jones to the 15th roster spot now, the Nuggets achieve four things simultaneously:

1. Immediate Depth and Stability: They ensure their best performing wing depth option is available for the duration of the regular season while Gordon and Braun recover.

2. Playoff Eligibility: They secure his eligibility for the championship run, where his length and defense could be invaluable.

3. Future Control: They solidify their control over a young, cheap, and successful 3-and-D wing for the remainder of the Jokic era.¹⁴

    

4. Open Two-Way Spot: They open up a new two-way contract slot, which they can use to develop another young player or sign an emergency replacement later in the season.¹⁵

    

The alternative—waiting to sign Jones—is a risk the Nuggets, as a championship contender, simply cannot afford. It would mean losing a proven contributor who has earned the trust of the coaching staff, forcing them to rely on less reliable options like Zeke Nnaji or Hunter Tyson to provide the crucial defensive wing minutes.

Spencer Jones has proven he belongs, and it is time for the Nuggets to reward his performance and secure their depth for the rest of the season.