Spencer Jones expects to be back from his hamstring strain for the Nuggets' opener in Oklahoma City
WhyNBA Sports Desk · Oct 18, 2026
The story
Denver Nuggets wing Spencer Jones said on Sunday, October 18, that he expects to play in Thursday's season opener at the Oklahoma City Thunder, after sitting out the entire preseason with a strained left hamstring.
The story
If he holds to that, Denver gets back a reliable rotation forward just as it loses another wing for more than a month.
The story
Jones spoke to reporters after practice, where he took part in a few minutes of scrimmaging for the first time since the injury. Bennett Durando of The Denver Post relayed the update, writing that Jones described himself as on track for the trip to Oklahoma City.
The story
The team has not issued an official status for the game, and Jones' own word is the only timeline on record so far.
The story
The strain happened early in training camp, and an MRI confirmed it, according to reports. Jones did not appear in any of Denver's exhibition games and was getting in extra work after practices as he recovered.
What Jones gives Denver
Jones is not a big scorer, but he became a dependable piece of the rotation last season. In 64 games in 2025-26 he averaged 5.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.8 steals in 22.1 minutes, shooting 50.4 percent from the field and 39.6 percent on 144 three-point attempts.
What Jones gives Denver
His 61.9 percent true shooting was strong for a low-usage role player, and his career-high 28 points came against the Dallas Mavericks on December 1, 2025. In six playoff games he played 24.2 minutes a night and went 9-of-13 from three.
What Jones gives Denver
That profile, a wing who defends, makes open threes and rarely turns the ball over, is exactly what Denver is short of right now.
What Jones gives Denver
Julian Strawther will miss at least six weeks with a left knee sprain, so one of the second unit's shooters is already gone for the start of the season.
What it means for the rotation
While Jones was out, rookie Trevon Brazile took the backup power forward minutes and made a strong case for himself, scoring 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting against the LA Clippers on October 14 and starting two nights later against the Los Angeles Lakers.
What it means for the rotation
Coach David Adelman has already said he may stretch to an 11-man rotation at times early on, which could leave room for both players.
What it means for the rotation
Even if Jones is cleared, a player coming off a soft-tissue injury who has not played a game since last season's playoffs is unlikely to get a full workload on night one.
What it means for the rotation
The more realistic picture is Jones in a limited bench role while Brazile, Cam Whitmore and Bryce Hopkins compete for what remains. Every injury update for the team is tracked on the injuries page.
What comes next
The Nuggets open the regular season at the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, October 22, at 9:30 pm ET. Follow it in the Game Center, where the official injury report for both teams will appear before tip-off.
Photo credit
Trey Alexander, Maj. Gen. Joseph Ricciardi and Brandon Williams at the Nuggets’ Military Appreciation Night, Ball Arena, Nov. 10, 2024. U.S. Army Reserve photo by Sgt. Nataja Ford.
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