It's a great morning for Denver Nuggets fans who were hoping to see the team change course from last year's luxury-tax-dodging offseason by going for broke and leaping over the NBA's second apron tax threshold at the start of this year by surprisingly matching the Oklahoma City Thunder's offer sheet for Spencer Jones. And the fact that the Nuggets blocked the Thunder and GM Sam Presti from adding Jones to the roster at the last minute is just icing on the cake.
The Denver Nuggets are matching the Oklahoma City Thunder's two-year, $12 million offer sheet on Spencer Jones, retaining the key forward in restricted free agency, sources tell ESPN. Nuggets valued keeping their homegrown player whom they landed on an undrafted deal in 2024.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 27, 2026
The Nuggets needed to retain Jones to keep building upon what they had started with him. Jones was brought in on a two-way contract two years ago, and he blossomed into a key piece of the Nuggets' rotation during their injury-depleted season last year. Obviously, Thunder GM Presti liked what he saw and decided that Jones would be a great fit for the Thunder's rotation.
In the words of college football analyst Lee Corso, "no so fast, my friends." Not only is it great that the Nuggets are signaling, at least for now, a willingness to pay the hefty tax bill associated with retaining Jones, but keeping him away from the bitter rival Thunder is icing on the cake.
The Thunder were also willing to pay a hefty tax bill for Jones
Presti is regarded as one of the smartest and best GM's in the league, and the fact that he wanted Jones for his system should speak volumes for what Jones can do. In fact, the Thunder were prepared to pay $23 million in extra luxury taxes just to bring in Jones for $6 million this year. It's not the $38 million commitment the Nuggets are currently facing, but it's a very large amount to fill out the roster with the last piece of the puzzle for the Thunder.
But now Presti will have to take his focus elsewhere to find that missing puzzle piece. And that is sweet music for Nuggets fans' ears. The rival coming in to swoop up a key rotational piece would have been a bad look for the Nuggets.
The Thunder saw the little things Jones does
Jones and his funky jump shot aren't going to be a scoring juggernaut. But if you leave him open, he'll make you pay. Jones shot 39.6% from three last season, and when you play with Nikola Jokic, you get a lot of open looks to capitalize on that. But that's only one part of Jones' game that Presti probably wanted.
Jones hustles, gets the loose ball, rebounds well, plays solid defense, and is physical. Of course, you want to inject that into your rotation at a bargain $6 million per year price. Getting a player with solid basketball smarts as well? Icing on the cake for Presti.
That makes this block of the Thunder and the retention of Jones that much sweeter for Nuggets fans.
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