The Denver Nuggets are probably going to have a difficult time finding a trading partner to take on the large first-year extension of Christina Braun next year. But he's the preferred option for the Nuggets to trade, and a trade target in the Dallas Mavericks could work out in the Nuggets' benefit, both in cap savings and in talent acquisition, if the Mavericks were to take a risk on a young wing to pair with Cooper Flagg for the next five years.
Marc Stein of The Stein Line reports that the Mavericks have interest in trading wing P.J. Washington this offseason, but the Nuggets should target another Mavericks wing instead. The mock trade would bring the Nuggets a solid defender and athletic scoring option that could be an upgrade over Braun, while adding a piece of roster depth with upside.
Nuggets receive: Naji Marshall, AJ Johnson
Mavericks receive: Christian Braun
After the season Braun had, in which he regressed significantly due to injuries, and with his five-year $125 million extension kicking in, the Nuggets could be hard-pressed to find full value for Braun. That's why this deal could make sense for the Nuggets while saving the team just under $9 million to help re-sign Peyton Watson in free agency.
Naji Marshall fits a lot of what Braun does
Marshall is a good defender who can't do much worse than Braun did in the Nuggets' first-round playoff defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Marshall's a bit more physical and tough than Braun, but overall, it's not like Braun is the clear winner. Marshall averaged 1.1 steals last year, which is what Braun averaged in 2024-25 for the Nuggets before falling off to just 0.7 this year.
Offensively, Marshall is just as good as Braun but with a different dynamic, and he could be better at getting to the hoop than Braun when you need to be physical to do it. Marshall is a great finisher around the rim, and he shot 51.0% from the floor while scoring 15.2 points in 29.2 minutes per game for the Mavericks this year. That's in line with the 51.9% Braun shot, and better than Braun's 12.0 points.
The downside to Marshall is the three-point game. Marshall shot just 29.1% from three-point range, but Braun fell from 39.7% in 2024-25 to 30.1% in 2025-26.
The Nuggets should do this trade
It's not a huge drop-off, and Marshall has an expiring contract that the Nuggets could extend if he performs well after the season. If not, at least they're out from under Braun's contract and have more cap space to work with in 2027-28 and beyond.
Finally, the depth piece, AJ Johnson, was the 23rd pick of the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft. He'd mostly be there to make the trade work and give the Nuggets the final bench spot they need to fill at a minimum price.
The Nuggets should do this trade. The cap savings and flexibility down the road, while getting a solid replacement for Braun, make it an intriguing deal.
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