The Denver Nuggets have a Christian Braun dilemma this summer and heading into the 2026-27 season. He's about to start his new contract extension, a five-year, $125 million anchor of a contract. And it's likely Braun got that contract and could be the one to stick around next year if the Nuggets shed salary to keep Peyton Watson because he's Nikola Jokic's really good "little buddy."
"Big buddy to little buddy" is a phrase Chris Marlow loves to use during Nuggets broadcasts to describe the assists Jokic gives Braun. Jokic is a friend of Braun's, and that closeness could be one reason Braun was able to secure his contract in the first place, reports Marc Stein in the newest edition of The Stein Line.
"Braun is routinely described in Denver as one of Jokic's favorite teammates," Stein relayed.
And therein lies what could be a problem for the Nuggets when they go to try to trade Braun. The Nuggets want to keep Jokic happy, and he may be happier choosing Braun over Cameron Johnson if the Nuggets decide to avoid paying extra fines by staying out of the NBA's second apron tax territory.
Nuggets may have to appease Jokic first
Stars usually get their way, and Jokic's no different. The Nuggets are going to do what they can to keep the three-time MVP award winner happy, and he deserves that. But what cost does it take for him to realize that Braun may not be the answer for another title?
Braun's average contract value of $25 million per year is a lot of money for a player who had a terrible season right after signing the contract. Sure, Braun was injured for much of the year, and he may have been slowed down more than we all realize in the playoffs, thanks to those injuries lingering. But he never showed the flashes of a $25 million-per-year player.
Braun's contract would have been hard enough for the Nuggets to move under the best circumstances, but what if it's impossible because he and Jokic get along so well? Are the Nuggets stuck with Braun because of the friendship? Maybe, maybe not, but we have to hope Jokic would be willing to let Braun go for the good of the team's chances to win,
The Nuggets shouldn't have to move anyone
The Nuggets shouldn't be making a decision to trade someone like Johnson or Braun to keep Watson in the first place. They have the option to pay the taxes and go into the second apron to make a run if that's what they determine.
But that doesn't seem to be an option at the moment. The rumor mill keeps suggesting a sacrificial trade to keep P-Wat. It shouldn't be Cam just because Braun's Jokic's "little buddy," but that could be the case.
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