Spencer Jones

Spencer Keith Jones (born June 14, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Stanford Cardinal.

High school career Jones attended Bishop Miege in Roeland Park, Kansas, emerging as a key contributor for one of the state's most successful high school basketball programs during his tenure. In March 2018, Bishop Miege won the Kansas Class 4A Division I state championship, defeating McPherson 57–54 in the title game at Koch Arena in Wichita. Jones led all scorers with 23 points, while teammate Jeremiah Robinson-Earl added 18 points and 11 rebounds, helping fuel Bishop Miege's comeback victory.

As a senior, Jones led Bishop Miege in scoring (18.8 points per game), rebounds (8.0), steals (3.0) and blocks (2.5), and was regarded as a top national recruit in the class of 2019.

College career Jones played college basketball for the Stanford Cardinal, where he appeared in 146 games in five seasons and averaged 11.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 steals all while shooting 43.9% from the field and 39.7% from the three-point line in 28.3 minutes per game. In 2023, he made the All-Pac-12 second team and ended up his college career as the school's all-time leader in games played with 146 and three-pointers with 315.

Jones graduated from Stanford in 2024 with an undergraduate degree in Management Science and Engineering.

Professional career Denver Nuggets (2024–present) Early career After going undrafted in the 2024 NBA draft, Jones joined the Portland Trail Blazers for the 2024 NBA Summer League and on July 30, he signed a two-way contract with the Denver Nuggets.

Breakthrough and increase in minutes (2025–26) Jones returned to the Denver Nuggets for the 2025–26 season on a two-way contract, continuing to split time between Denver and its NBA G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold. He entered the season primarily outside the regular rotation, with his role largely defined by situational defensive assignments and limited minutes.

During an injury stretch in December 2025, Jones was used as a starter alongside Nikola Jokić and Peyton Watson as the Nuggets adjusted their lineup in the absence of Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun. Despite the lineup's temporary nature, Denver maintained one of the league's most efficient offenses during that span, with Jones contributing through screening, floor spacing and off-ball movement rather than high-usage scoring. On December 1, 2025, Jones put another career high in points against the Dallas Mavericks, where he scored 28 points in 39 minutes, he also had five rebounds to pair with his points. Sports Illustrated cited Jones's efficiency and impact while starting games during Denver's injury-related rotation adjustments.

On February 5, 2026, following the trade of Hunter Tyson to the Brooklyn Nets, the Nuggets were slightly below the luxury tax, which allowed the team to convert Jones' two-way contract to a standard NBA contract on February 19.

Jones averaged a career-high 5.5 points and 3.3 rebounds during the 2025–26 season, playing in 64 games and starting 37. During the 2026 NBA playoffs, he shot 69.2% on three-pointers, the best in the NBA. Following his breakout season, Jones entered restricted free agency, where the Oklahoma City Thunder signed him to a two-year, $12 million offer sheet on July 25. The next day, the Nuggets matched the offer sheet, returning Jones to the team but sending them into the second apron.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs