The Denver Nuggets don’t seem to be trending in the right direction to get a deal done with fourth-year wing Christian Braun before next week’s rookie-scale extension deadline.
According to a report from Jake Fischer on The Stein Line, there’s “pessimism” that Braun and the Nuggets will get a deal done before the necessary extension deadline.
“Pessimism likewise persists regarding a possible extension before Monday’s deadline forChristian Braun with the Nuggets,” Fischer said. “Braun certainly has a strong case to be extended. He was on Denver’s title team in 2023 and only grows in stature in Denver. He’s also someone that the ever-tax-conscious Nuggets really wouldn’t have the mechanism to replace if they were to lose Braun in restricted free agency next summer.”
“Sources say Denver, though, has already signaled that it does not want to be a taxpayer next season. And that will make for tricky accounting for the Nuggets’ new front office under Josh Kroenke … with Braun believed to be in pursuit of his own deal that pays $25 million in average annual value.”
It’s certainly an interesting piece of the puzzle when drawing up the Nuggets’ long-term plans to keep their championship-level core in-tact.
Braun, through his first three seasons with the Nuggets, has not only proven himself as a critical piece for their title endeavors, but has also continuously gotten better in every year that he’s been in Denver.
During his latest season, Braun set career-highs in every major stat category while being the fourth-leading scorer for the Nuggets, also emerging as a nightly starter logging over 30 minutes a game.
So now, Braun is due for a much-deserved payday. The Nuggets, though, haven’t quite met the mark in terms of his desired numbers amid their offseason negotiations. More than likely, he’ll be headed to restricted free agency come next summer to find that deal, instead of those talks seamlessly being worked in before next season tips off.
May 15, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun (0) dribbles the ball up court in the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder during game six of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
While it does add another wrinkle in trying to hammer down a long-term agreement for a critical component and nightly starter like Braun, signs still indicate that both sides will find that deal––it just might take an extended amount of time to get that done.
The Nuggets’ unwillingness to spread out into the luxury tax, though, does make for a situation worth watching down the line. If true, that mindset may inevitably lead to Denver needing to cut corners in the near future in order to pay out the necessary deals not just for Braun, but the rest of their key pieces as well.
Keep an eye on both the Nuggets and Braun leading up to the NBA’s official rookie extension deadline on October 20th, but don’t be shocked if no agreement ends up being struck before the buzzer sounds.
