Christian Braun celebrates a 3-pointer against the Rockets. Troy Taormina / Imagn Images
The Denver Nuggets have agreed with Christian Braun on a five-year extension worth $125 million, a team source told The Athletic. The deal will have no team or player options, league sources said.
The 24-year-old fourth-year guard, who was drafted No. 21 overall out of Kansas in 2022 and who first rose to prominence in Denver by playing meaningful minutes as a rookie in the NBA Finals during the team’s 2023 title run, is coming off a breakout season in which he averaged 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals.
For the Nuggets, who overhauled their front office and coaching staff late last season, this is the latest piece of impressive business in an already-strong offseason. With executive vice president of basketball operations Ben Tenzer and executive vice president of player personnel Jon Wallace now in charge of the roster, the Nuggets spent these past few months addressing the depth issues that famously dogged them in recent years. They swapped Michael Porter Jr. for Cam Johnson in a trade with Brooklyn, traded Dario Sarić for Jonas Valančiūnas in a deal with Sacramento and added Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown in free agency.
But for all the well-deserved fanfare about the new additions, the Nuggets’ move to secure Braun’s services is a monumental one in firming up their trusted core. Denver has three-time MVP Nikola Jokić under contract through the 2026-27 season, with a player option for the 2027-28 campaign. His longtime running mate, guard Jamal Murray, is signed through 2028-29. Forward Aaron Gordon, whose arrival via trade in March 2021 elevated the Nuggets to title-contender status, has a deal through the 2027-28 season, with a player option for 2028-29.
Over the course of these past few seasons, Braun’s two-way play and willingness to serve in whatever role is necessary has been his initiation into the Nuggets’ core group. And now, with his new deal in hand and the roster having been reshaped, the Nuggets look primed to make another run at the title.
Oct 20, 2025
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