Nuggets To Sign Spencer Jones To Two-Way Deal
The Nuggets will fill their open two-way contract slot by signing undrafted rookie free agent Spencer Jones to a two-way deal, reports Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link).
A 6’7″ forward, Jones spent all five of his college seasons at Stanford from 2019-24, starting 139 of his 146 games during that time. As a super-senior last season, he averaged 11.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.4 steals in 29.1 minutes per game, with a shooting line of
.438/.409/.645.
Jones was a 39.7% three-point shooter on 5.4 attempts per contest across his five seasons with the Cardinal, setting a school record with 315 career made three-pointers. Denver likes his combination of size, skill, and shooting, according to Durando.
Jones was on the Trail Blazers’ Summer League roster in Las Vegas. He came off the bench in Portland’s first game last Saturday, but was ruled out for Monday’s contest due to an illness and hasn’t played since.
Denver filled its other two-way slots earlier this month by signing two other undrafted rookies, Trey Alexander and PJ Hall. Once they complete their reported signings of Jones, Russell Westbrook, and DeAndre Jordan, the Nuggets will have 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts and three on two-way deals, so they’ll essentially be set for the regular season.
A player who spends the entire 2024/25 season on a two-way deal will be eligible to appear in up to 50 NBA regular season games and will earn a salary of $578,577.
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Evaluating Thunder’s Pair Of Rookies Following Five-Game Summer League Sample
With Dillon Jones and Ajay Mitchell officially being shut down for the remainder of NBA Summer League, we’re left with a five-game sample for both of the incoming rookies to evaluate ahead of the 2023-24 season. The next time this duo takes the floor will be in the preseason, meaning the three games in Salt Lake City and two in Las Vegas are all they’ll get before the level of competition rises and the stakes get higher.
How did Jones and Michell fare during summer league, and what themes have emerged surrounding each of them?
Jones will have a real chance to play NBA minutes in the upcoming season after being selected No. 26 overall in June’s draft. Although a bit of a tweener positionally, he fits what Oklahoma City is looking to do from a positional versatility standpoint.
Through five summer league games, Jones averaged 13.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per contest. His scoring production was inconsistent, converting on just 29.2% of his triples and 40.7% of his shots overall.
In either case, Jones’ confidence and mindset are already where they need to be, which is a huge step in the right direction for a young player in this league.
“Dillon stays aggressive, as he should,” said Ajay Mitchell of his rookie colleague in Las Vegas. “I think he’s doing a good job in always staying positive.”
