Spencer Jones bet on himself in restricted free agency, and the gamble paid off when Sam Presti of the Oklahoma City Thunder offered him a 2-year, $12 million contract on Saturday, leaving the Nuggets with less than 48 hours to match the offer, which would push them into the second apron.
Denver beat the deadline on Sunday, agreeing to pay up for the former two-way player who broke into a makeshift starting lineup and, ultimately, the playoff rotation. Jones’ stock rose dramatically throughout the season, and now he’s inked his first major deal as a professional athlete.
We’ve grown numb to the numbers flying around in this league, but for an undrafted two-way player who spends too much time on LinkedIn, this is a remarkable development. Twelve million dollars is life-changing money no matter how you slice it, tax it, or podcast about it.
Jones earned David Adelman’s trust as an impact defender willing to lead with physicality — that last bit led to some jokes at Jones’ expense, if not outright frustration over the rate at which he fouls. But I don’t think Adelman ever really minded that dynamic. It all flowed from Jones’ willingness to play defense in the same style as, ironically, his almost-teammates in Oklahoma.
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