Spencer Jones is officially staying with the Denver Nuggets! ESPN’s Shams Charania just broke the news: Denver matched Oklahoma City’s two-year, $11.8 million offer sheet for the guy, keeping him right where he belongs in a Nuggets uniform.
The Hoops Decision Was a No-Brainer
Look, from a pure hoops perspective, this was a total no-brainer. The Nuggets have depth questions, and you cannot let a player like Jones walk away. He’s a 6’7″ wing, right? A strong on-ball defender, which is huge in today’s game. And he ain’t just defense, he was shooting 39.6% from beyond the arc last season, even starting 37 games. Remember Game 5 against the Timberwolves in their playoff series? Jones dropped a ridiculous 20 points on 78% shooting, basically winning them the game! Plus he tacked on 3 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. You just don’t let that kind of clutch performance and all-around game walk out the door, especially when you have championship aspirations.
The Financial Hit Is Insane
But holy smokes, the financial side of this? That’s where things get wild. Matching Jones’ offer? Bobby Marks from ESPN reports it just shot Denver’s luxury tax bill from a cool $36 million all the way up to $68 million. Yeah, you read that right. And get this: that bill is gonna climb to at least $112 million! And that’s if Peyton Watson just takes his $6.5 million qualifying offer. If they try to get a new deal done with Watson, those tax numbers are going to absolutely skyrocket from there. Marks says Denver is already eight million above the second apron, and again, that’s without a new deal for Watson. Nuggets ownership and management have some serious headaches coming their way.
So what’s next for Denver? They kept a key piece, no doubt, but now they’re deep in the financial red. This ain’t just a tough call, it’s a series of tough calls coming for this roster. Good luck figuring that out, Denver!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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