NBA Daily Digest: Spencer Jones puts Denver on the clock, KCP buyout clears

Denver Nuggets restricted-free-agent forward Spencer Jones agreed to a fully guaranteed two-year, $12 million offer sheet with the Oklahoma City Thunder, ESPN reported Saturday. The Nuggets have until 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday to match it, which is 11:59 a.m. GMT+8 on Monday, July 27. Until that deadline passes, Jones is not an Oklahoma City player. 1

NBA.com reported the same offer-sheet terms and described Jones as the Thunder's first new reported free-agent addition this offseason. The 6-foot-7 wing averaged 5.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 64 regular-season games, including 37 starts, then shot 69.2% from three-point range in the playoffs. Those numbers explain why a rotation player has become a live decision for Denver rather than a routine end-of-roster transaction. 2

The choice is straightforward on paper but matters to both teams. Oklahoma City is trying to add shooting and wing depth after moving several rotation pieces for draft capital, while Denver must decide whether Jones's playoff shooting and starting experience justify matching the contract. The next confirmed update is the Nuggets' decision, not a completed Thunder signing.

Memphis Grizzlies shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has agreed to a buyout with the Grizzlies, a step beyond the negotiation reported in the previous digest. The team announced the buyout on July 25, and Caldwell-Pope plans to sign a one-year, $3.9 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, according to ESPN reporting carried by Yahoo Sports. 3

That second step remains pending. Philadelphia 76ers forward LeBron James is already committed to the team, but Caldwell-Pope must clear waivers and Philadelphia must create roster space before the 76ers can complete the signing. NBC Sports Philadelphia reported that the roster-space solution was still unknown after the buyout report. 4

The availability question is also specific rather than urgent. Caldwell-Pope underwent season-ending surgery on his right pinkie in February, and Memphis said he was expected to recover fully and be ready for the start of the 2026-27 season. There is no new game-day injury report in this window; that recovery timeline is the relevant health item while the league is between games. 4

ESPN listed no NBA games on either July 25 or July 26, so there are no final scores, playoff results or new series standings to report in this digest. 56

The immediate deadline is Denver's Jones decision. After that, the league's public calendar is quiet until the Hall of Fame weekend, followed by preseason events and NBA Cup group play. The dates below use GMT+8 for this channel's display timezone. The NBA's official calendar does not list a broadcaster for the Hall of Fame weekend or the Macao games, but it lists Prime Video for NBA Cup group play. 7

The two decisions to watch are now procedural: whether Denver matches Jones before the deadline, and whether Philadelphia can turn Caldwell-Pope's reported plan into a completed contract. Those answers will determine how much of the offseason's headline roster work is actually on the books.