Christian Braun was as giddy as a lottery winner Monday when details were finalized on his five-year, $125 million rookie contract extension with the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, the team that selected the former Kansas standout with the 21st overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
“I’m through the roof when it happened, just excited to be here,” the 24-year-old said after practice Tuesday in an interview session with media members in Denver.
Braun, a 6-foot-6, 220-pound guard, started on KU’s 2022 NCAA championship team and was a rotation player on the Nuggets’ 2023 NBA title squad. He also won three state titles at Blue Valley Northwest High School.
Braun was about to begin the final year of a four-year contract that paid him $3,089,640 in 2024-25. The team will pay him $4,921,797 in 2025-26.
After that, the extension kicks in at $25 million a year through the 2030-31 season.
“There’s no real way for me to repay anybody for this, other than winning and playing the right way and doing the right thing, so I’m excited to get to work,” said Braun, a starter who averaged 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists a game last season — his third year in the league.
“I’m grateful for everybody involved. Everybody believed in me to this point,” he added, singling out the Nuggets management and front-office personnel as well as teammates Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.
“I’m really excited to be a Nugget, really excited to focus on basketball. I think that’s the biggest part, focus on winning. And I get to go into the year with a clear mind. I just feel so grateful for everybody for getting it done,” Braun added.
Monday was the deadline to reach rookie contract extensions with players.
“I’ve heard the jokes for a couple of weeks now, obviously, because everybody kind of knows it was coming down to the deadline,” Braun said of his teammates ribbing him. “But they obviously just said congrats (after his signing). And I have more to say to those guys (Jokic, Murray). I think that those are two of the guys that I’m very, very grateful to.”
According to SI.com, nine players agreed to rookie contract extensions before Braun on Monday. Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 pick in 2022, signed an extension for five years and $240 million. Orlando’s Paolo Banchero agreed to a five-year, $239 million extension.
“I don’t think it bogged me down,” Braun said of contract negotiations taking place all the way to the deadline. “I think it kind of motivated me a little bit. It was new to me. This is something I’ve never done before, and you obviously have concern.
“I think my mom and dad kind of were more concerned for me, and so I tried to tell them information as I knew it, but I tried to stay away as much as possible, be in Denver, be part of the team, and you never know what can happen. And like I said, I am grateful for the way it did happen, but you never know what can happen, and it is a little stressful.
“I don’t like the negotiation just because you feel like you’re against people you love and people you care about, but I’m just really excited for the way it went down, and just really happy that it’s over.”
Braun, who finished fourth in the league’s Most Improved Player voting a year ago, said he wants to remain a Nugget his entire career.
“I never changed schools or teams in high school. I never changed in college. And I don’t want to change in the NBA,” Braun said.
“I want to be here. I want to be a big part of winning. I want to be a really big part of what happens here and the success that happens in Denver. I want to be a big part of the community. I want to be around these guys. I want to be around this coaching staff, this front office, and win with them. So that’s always been the biggest thing for me. I want to be a Nugget in my whole career. But I understand that to do that, we need to win.”
Denver opens the season against Golden State on Thursday.
“I think that having this core together is really important. I think that there’s no limit for this team. Really excited for, you know, what we’re going to do, what we can do,” Braun said. “I love expectations. I love that pressure, and I love this unit. I love the coaches. It’s been great for me. So I’m really excited to be here for a long time, and I think that I’m grateful.”
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Gary Bedore
The Kansas City Star
Gary Bedore covers KU basketball for The Kansas City Star. He has written about the Jayhawks since 1978 — during the Ted Owens, Larry Brown, Roy Williams and Bill Self eras. He has won the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year award and KPA writing awards.
