Photo: Peter Baba

Denver Nuggets forward Spencer Jones has outlined how he plans to allocate the roughly $3.3 million he expects to have available after taxes, agent fees and jock taxes during the 2026-27 season.

Jones, 25, shared that he expects to earn $6 million this season and plans to put 15-20% of his post-tax income into venture investments. He cited his age, long investment horizon and access to opportunities through his network as reasons for taking an aggressive approach to venture capital.

The remainder of Jones’ financial plan is considerably more conservative. He expects to spend more than $100,000 on living expenses, while directing more than $2.5 million toward index funds, savings and philanthropy.

“That’s kind of the whole point,” Jones wrote. “The biggest part of my financial plan is also the least exciting.”

Jones said his approach was shaped during his time on a two-way contract, when he decided that a larger NBA salary would not automatically lead to a significantly higher lifestyle. He also noted that many costs associated with his life as an NBA player, including travel, meals and gear, are covered through basketball.

“I told myself that if the bigger contract ever came, my lifestyle wouldn’t automatically grow with it,” Jones wrote. “Now it’s here.”

Jones entered the NBA as an undrafted player and spent his first two seasons with the Nuggets. His first NBA season came in 2024-25, when he appeared in 20 games and averaged 1.3 points and 0.9 rebounds in 6.3 minutes per game.

His role expanded substantially in 2025-26. Jones played 64 games, including 37 starts, and averaged 5.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 22.1 minutes per game while shooting 50.4% from the field and 39.6% from three-point range.

Across his first two NBA seasons, Jones has averaged 4.5 points and 2.7 rebounds in 18.4 minutes per game, with a 48.3% field-goal percentage and 36.0% three-point percentage.

Jones is entering the first season of a two-year, $11.75 million contract. His planned financial allocation therefore represents a significant shift from his earlier two-way-contract earnings while maintaining the spending habits he developed before receiving a larger NBA deal.

The strategy also reflects Jones’ stated goal of using his basketball earnings to create financial flexibility beyond his playing career. “The goal isn’t figuring out how much I can afford to spend,” Jones wrote. “It’s figuring out how much freedom I can build.”