The Nuggets have a big decision coming up as Christian Braun is set to become eligible to sign a rookie extension, but in reality, this isn’t much of a decision at all: keeping Braun in Denver long-term is essential. The 24-year-old former first-round pick has become too vital to everything the Nuggets do, so whatever the cost, this should be a no-brainer for the Nuggets.
Braun played a role for the Nuggets as a rookie, helping the team win the 2023 title. He followed it up with a solid season as a sixth man, then jumped into the starting lineup last season and took one of the biggest leaps of any player in the league, finishing third in Most Improved Player of the Year voting.
After his breakout season, Braun is set to command a deal in the range of $25 million a year, one that the Nuggets should be ready to hand out. Sam Vecenie of The Athletic estimated on the Game Theory podcast that Braun will likely sign a five-year deal in the range of $125-$145 million.
Nuggets must sign Braun to keep Jokic happy
But one key point that Vecenie made multiple times on the pod is that Nikola Jokic absolutely loves playing with Braun, and that alone should keep him in Denver. While Braun’s extension is the topic of the moment, Jokic very notably chose not to sign an extension this summer, pushing it off to next offseason.
While the assumption is that he’ll sign a deal next summer, until the pen meets the paper, nothing is guaranteed, and the Nuggets need to operate accordingly. Getting cheap and failing to secure a deal with Braun is exactly the kind of petty move that could cause Jokic to reconsider his options and decide if it’s worth committing to a franchise that won’t commit to winning titles.
Whether ownership likes it or not, their hands are tied, and that may mean getting financially uncomfortable in the coming years. They’ve managed to avoid heavy luxury tax penalties in recent years, but it’s time to go all in for the final years of Jokic’s prime.
That starts with making a major financial commitment to Braun and making sure he’s with the Nuggets for the rest of the Jokic era, taxes and aprons be damned. He is too good a player, he fits too well with the current team, and he provides too many important elements that the team can’t replace. So while the deal isn’t done yet, there’s no doubt about what the Nuggets must do with Christian Braun.