While the Denver Nuggets brought in a handful of key depth pieces on short-term contracts this summer, there are two long-term deals that haven’t gotten done yet with Nikola Jokic and Christian Braun. Jokic is due for his third maximum extension, while Braun is waiting for his first regular extension after his rookie deal.
Jokic put any speculation about his to rest after he said that he wants to be a Nugget for life, and didn’t show any signs of concern regarding a new contract extension. The younger Braun also stayed level-headed about the negotiations when asked about them at Nuggets Media Day on Monday.
‘I OWE IT TO THE CITY OF DENVER’
“There’s no frustration. I think that it’s going to happen at some point, whatever happens, happens. And I think that most important part is I need show up and do my job. I think that’s how I’ve always been. So that doesn’t change. I think that I owe it to these guys. I owe it to the city of Denver. I owe it to these people to show up and do what I do, continue to work hard, to put the work in. All that stuff will take care of itself. And I know that,” Braun said.
To start his career, Braun has consistently done that. He’s been an iron man for Denver so far — playing in at least 76 games in all three seasons — he’s been solid on the defensive end and has improved on his offensive game. There’s not going to be a better 2-guard on the open market for the Nuggets to replace him with this offseason, so the best avenue for the team would be to just get the deal done.
Braun also emphasized how he wants to be here for the long haul, just like Jokic did.
“I don’t want to be anywhere besides being a Denver Nugget. I think everybody knows that.”
WHAT WOULD THE VALUE OF AN EXTENSION BE?
What’s it going to take for Braun to be back in Denver? He’s set to be a restricted free agent next offseason if a deal doesn’t get done, which means that Denver would have the right to match any offer sheet that he would potentially sign for another team. The likelihood of him being on a different team next season is low because of this, but anything is possible in the NBA these days. His projected annual value on an extension is in the neighborhood of $30 million.
— Ralph Mason (@Ralph_MasonJr) May 19, 2025
That might not be a number that Nuggets fans want to hear, especially after the team just got off of the Michael Porter Jr. rookie extension that ended up doing more harm than good to the organization, but that’s just the nature of today’s NBA. There won’t be a better guard on the market that can do what he does at a cheaper value next year.
In order for a contract extension to get done, EVP of Basketball Operations Ben Tenzer and EVP of Player Personnel Jonathan Wallace have to put the offer sheet on the table for Braun to sign. They didn’t provide much insight as to where those talks stand on Monday.
“Yeah, we won’t comment on any contract negotiations or extensions, but having said that, they both [Braun and Peyton Watson] have huge roles coming up this year, and we feel like they’re both ready to take take a step, and we hope they’re here for a long time,” Tenzer said.
The 24-year-old out of Kansas is coming off the best season of his career. He was called upon to step up as a full-time starter for the first time in his NBA career in 2024-25, and he responded by setting career highs field goal percentage (58.0%) and 3-point percentage (39.7%) while doubling his points per game from 7.3 to 15.4. Standing at 6-foot-6, he’s been one of the best defenders on the floor for Denver since he got here, and will likely have to shoulder the defensive load alongside Aaron Gordon once again this year.
The Nuggets will need him to be better in the postseason, as his shooting splits dropped to 45.3% and 30.0%, respectively. Even though he struggled offensively in the biggest moments last season, he’s still important for this franchise’s future outlook, and they need to do what they can to keep him around.
