As the Denver Nuggets look to return to the ranks of the true contenders, signing Christian Braun to a contract extension must be a top priority. It may not contribute to the acquisition of new players in the short term, but Denver can't afford to lose sight of what works for it just because of what it lacks.
The hurdle facing the Nuggets will be determining what a fair salary for Braun would be—and hoping that he'll agree to sign the extension.
2025-26 will mark the final season of Braun's rookie contract, with his $4,921,797 salary making him one of the top bargain players in the NBA. He'll be a restricted free agent in 2026, which should give Denver a significant degree of leverage considering it can match any offer he receives.
Rather than allowing the market to dictate Braun's next contract, however, it would behoove the Nuggets to pay him before he's potentially priced out of their range.
Selected at No. 21 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, Braun has progressively emerged as one of the most important players on the Nuggets' roster. He's thrived on both ends of the floor, operating as an ideal backcourt partner for Jamal Murray and an excellent replacement for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
A limited sample size of success has thus far benefited the Nuggets when establishing a financial value, however, which could enable Braun to remain in Denver at a team-friendly price.
Nuggets must extend Christian Braun while it's still cost-effective
There's risk involved in this potential investment, as Braun has only produced one high-volume season up to this point. That isn't to say he didn't play well during his first two seasons, but 2024-25 was the first time that he averaged more than 20.2 minutes per game.
Braun thrived with more minutes at his disposal, but the fact remains that he's only played one season at the level that could now bring about a significant increase in salary.
In saying that, the Nuggets are in an unstable position moving forward. They have a powerful core with Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic, and Murray, but Michael Porter Jr.'s future with the franchise is constantly in question and even the underrated reserves may be another season away from reliable contributions.
Denver needs to make meaningful improvements this offseason, and that could require relatively costly investments—making an ideal extension for Braun a crucial priority.
Extending Braun at a reasonable price would allow the Nuggets to preserve their long-term flexibility. The extension wouldn't come into play until the 2026-27 season, meaning Denver could prioritize improvements in other areas with the benefit of knowing what its future finances will look like.
Rather than signing players and hoping Braun can still fit, said approach would offer the Nuggets a unique opportunity to improve in a sustainable manner.
In terms of what Braun can realistically make, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report projected a four-year, $94 million extension. That would be a hefty price to pay, but Denver still has some degree of leverage considering Braun hasn't yet reached the upper limits of his potential—and may begin to do so in 2025-26.
As the Nuggets search for ways to improve their depth, they can't forget to preserve their future and avoid being priced out of re-signing Braun in 2026.