Nicolas Dorigatti

The Denver Nuggets are bringing back one of their best backup guards. They have agreed to a one-year deal with veteran point guard Tyus Jones.

Free agent guard Tyus Jones has agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Denver Nuggets, sources tell ESPN. Jones played a reserve role after joining Denver on the buyout market last season, and enters his 12th NBA season as his agent Kevin Bradbury of LIFT Sports Management… pic.twitter.com/OxPTfX8C7l

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 2, 2026

How We Got Here:

The Nuggets are coming off a disappointing season, despite finishing third in the Western Conference. Jamal Murray had a stellar season, but Nikola Jokic dealt with injuries throughout and was clearly hampered heading into the playoffs. On top of Jokic dealing with injuries, there were questions about the rest of the roster. In the playoffs, they lost in the first round to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who were playing without their three lead guards.

Jones was traded to the Nuggets during the buyout market from the Dallas Mavericks. However, he appeared in only 11 regular season games and averaged 3 points and 2.4 assists. He did prove that he was a reliable option behind Jamal Murray, however. He controlled the pace, took care of the basketball, and provided steady leadership whenever Murray needed a rest.

His Impact:

Jones has built his career on the fact that he is consistently ranked among the league leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio. That makes him an ideal backup point guard who can keep the team in the game when he’s working with the second unit. Overall, his value comes from making the right read, initiating the offense, finding open shooters, and minimizing turnovers.

When it comes to the financial aspect of the Nuggets, this lead couldn’t be any better. They are operating under strict salary-cap limitations, which means that veterans on affordable contracts are one of the franchise’s most effective ways to maintain roster depth. On top of that, it allows them to figure out what they are going to do with other players that are currently up for contracts or have recently signed contracts like Peyton Watson and Christian Braun.

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This is an interesting move for the Nuggets as they have struggled to make another deep playoff run. They are hoping that bringing back Jones will create a level of continuity on the team that allows them to make a deep playoff run.