Nuggets Face Decision as Spencer Jones Nears Two-Way Game Limit
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Second-year forward Spencer Jones is three games away from exhausting the 50-game allowance on his two-way contract, putting pressure on the Denver Nuggets to decide whether to convert his deal before the Feb. 8 trade deadline.
The 24-year-old has been active in 47 games, appearing in 43 of them while averaging 23.5 minutes and starting 31 times for the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed. Denver has told Jones and his representatives that a promotion to the 15-man roster is planned, but timing remains uncertain.
“I always knew the decision wasn’t going to be until the deadline,” Jones said. “I may run out of games before then, so they’ve mentioned the possibility of sitting out one or two.”
Roster spot open, tax concerns linger
Denver currently has one vacant standard roster spot, meaning Jones could be signed immediately without another transaction. The club, however, is about $400,000 over the luxury-tax threshold and has reportedly prioritized finishing the season as a non-taxpayer.
If the Nuggets trade a low-salary player without taking back money, they could add Jones and still duck the tax. For example, rookie Hunter Tyson carries a $2,221,677 cap hit, while a prorated minimum contract for Jones would count roughly $871,000 as of Feb. 6. Denver could also use part of its mid-level exception to pay him more than the minimum.
Scheduling relief short-lived
A game postponed last Sunday and moved to March briefly slowed Jones’s march toward the cap, but Denver still plays four times before the deadline. If his contract is not converted by then, he would have to sit out at least one of those contests to remain eligible afterward.
“Whatever happens, he’ll be fine,” head coach David Adelman said. “What he’s put on tape is a rotation player, and he’s earned it. We’ll figure it out.”
Other two-way players nearing their limits
Jones is not alone. Several two-way players league-wide are within 10 active games of the 50-game ceiling:
- Chris Youngblood, Thunder — 2 games remaining
- Pat Spencer, Warriors — 3
- Jabari Walker, 76ers — 3
Note: Philadelphia has already used its full allotment of 90 under-15 two-way games and must keep a full 15-man roster to activate any two-way player. - Daniss Jenkins, Pistons — 4
- Johnny Juzang, Timberwolves — 4
- NaeQwan Tomlin, Cavaliers — 5
- Sidy Cissoko, Trail Blazers — 7
- JD Davison, Rockets — 8
- Ryan Nembhard, Mavericks — 9
- Caleb Love, Trail Blazers — 10
- Kobe Sanders, Clippers — 10
With the deadline approaching, teams will need to decide quickly whether to convert, waive, or rest these players as their game totals climb.
Source: HoopsRumors
