Denver Nuggets Standout Undrafted Rookie Erupts in G League Win

The Denver Nuggets have drafted and developed a few valuable pieces of one of the NBA’s best teams.

Players like Peyton Watson and Christian Braun were selected late in the first round of recent classes, and have each gone on to become solid options for Denver. Braun earned a massive five-year, $125 million second contract, while Watson has performed well throughout the 2025-26 season and will likely also receive a solid deal this summer.

Denver has other young pieces who could eventually become reliable rotation pieces, but after consistently reaching the playoffs, the Nuggets have picked towards the back of the first round for multiple years and haven’t had a choice of premier draft talent.

Denver may have found another gem in the 2025 class, though, as rookie guard Curtis Jones continues to perform well in the G League.

While Jones still has work to do before becoming a regular rotation player for Denver, the undrafted free agent is at least an exciting young addition who has the potential to give the team more depth in the coming years.

In a Tuesday victory against the Capital City Go-Go, Jones led the Grand Rapids Gold, Denver’s G League affiliate, to a 130-121 win with 40 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal and just one turnover while shooting 14-of-28 from the field and 7-of-15 from 3-point range.

40 PTS 🔥 8 REB 🔥 7 3PM 🔥 14/28 FG

A Curtis Jones MASTERPIECE! The @nuggets Two-Way signee scored a career-high to lead @NBAGrandRapids to victory. This was his fourth 30+ point game of the season. pic.twitter.com/7BFLjDHPFU
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) March 3, 2026

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, Jones went undrafted in the 2025 class after a five-year college career that included stops at Indian Hills Community College, Buffalo and Iowa State. As a senior, Jones averaged 17.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 43% from the field and 37.4% from 3-point range on 6.9 attempts per game with the Cyclones, earning Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year honors.

After signing with the Nuggets, Jones turned in a solid summer league showing and secured a two-way deal with Denver. The 24-year-old has logged six NBA appearances, averaging 5.2 minutes per game, but is one of the most productive first-year players in the G League this season.

In 22 starts for Grand Rapids, Jones is averaging 21.5 points, 6.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting 38.9% from the field and 36.3% from 3-point range. If the rookie guard can increase his shooting efficiency, he could become a solid role player for the Nuggets as the team is forced to move on from other pieces on the team’s roster.

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