Nuggets forward Spencer Jones underwent an MRI that revealed a left hamstring strain this weekend, a team spokesperson told The Denver Post on Sunday.
Jones is considered day-to-day, but he could miss multiple if not all five of Denver’s preseason games. The team plans to be overly cautious to ensure he’s available for the season opener Oct. 22 at the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“So far, he’s reacting well to (treatment),” Nuggets coach David Adelman said before their preseason opener Sunday in Boulder. “(Team doctor Steve Short) and those guys, they have all these things he has to get through to get back to playing — 1-on-1, 3-on-3. We’ll do a 5-on-5 session. But we’ve gotta be careful with Spence, man. That’s our backup four. And he’s a guy who can actually play backup five, backup three. And the goal is to get him to OKC.”
The Nuggets matched Oklahoma City’s two-year, $12 million offer sheet to retain Jones in restricted free agency this offseason. After starting last year on a two-way contract, he played 64 regular-season games in a breakout campaign, shooting 39.6% from the 3-point range and guarding star forwards.
The 25-year-old wing suffered his hamstring injury Friday during Denver’s fourth practice of training camp.