By any measure, it’s been a bizarre season for the Denver Nuggets. Hit with a barrage of injuries that have claimed almost their entire starting lineup, they’ve had to improvise and find ways to win games without the services of the NBA’s three-time MVP, his backup and standout forwards Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson and most recently, Peyton Watson.
Some of the players like Johnson and guard Christian Braun and back in the lineup, but the entire team hasn’t been together since mid November.
Bright Spots in an Otherwise Murky Season
There have been bright spots, like the play of newly minted All-Star Jamal Murray, and the emergence of two-way player Spencer Jones, a rookie who was playing in the G-League at the start of the season, but who’s stellar play as a fill in starter for Gordon has earned him a full NBA contract. Problem is, Jones (who is officially listed as out while in concussion protocol after a head-to-head collision with New York Knicks star Karl Anthony-Towns) hasn’t signed a new deal yet. And until he does, he isn’t eligible to play for the Nuggets…or anyone else.
Denver’s double-overtime loss to the Knicks in Madison Square Garden on February 4th was the final NBA game Jones was eligible to play in on his two-way contract. At that point, the Nuggets had to send him back to Grand Rapids of the G-League or convert his contract into a full NBA deal. Given Jones contributions on both ends of the floor, it was a no-brainer. The concussion just slowed things down.
Jones Concussion Isn’t the Only Thing Keeping Him Sidelined
Jones is officially listed as “questionable” for tonight’s Nuggets – Memphis Grizzlies tilt at Ball Arena. But the real question is whether or not the Nuggets and Jones’ agent can reach a new contract that is, in the words of Denver head coach David Adelman, “fair for both sides.”
The prevailing thought is that if a contract gets worked out, all the questions about Jones availability will be answered.
With Gordon sidelined for at least another month with a pulled hamstring, Denver is woefully undersized at the position. Since both Jones and Gordon have been out, Denver has been playing without another “big” alongside Nikola Jokic and his back up Jonas Valančiūnas. Opponents have been taking advantage of size mismatches in the paint, and the Nuggets have lost three of their last four games without Jones, a 6’ 7” Stanford product whose length allows him to play bigger than his frame.
If a new contract between Jones and the Nuggets isn’t reached before tonight’s game with the Grizzlies, the two sides will have the entire eight day All-Star break to try to work something out. In the meantime, Denver will also be keeping a close eye on the upcoming NBA “buy-out” market.
It’s also possible, but not likely, that the two sides fail to reach a new contract deal and Jones becomes a mid-season free agent himself. That would not just leave a hole in the Nuggets line-up, but would likely force them to sign two new players out of the buy-out market. That kind of shakeup isn’t what this Nuggets team, searching for continuity in an ever-changing lineup, needs as they press for playoff positioning.