Guard Christian Braun averaged a career-best 15.4 ppg last season for Denver.
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The Denver Nuggets are keeping a core piece in place by reportedly reaching a rookie contract extension agreement with guard Christian Braun.
Braun, whom the Nuggets took No. 21 overall in the 2022 Draft, has agreed to a five-year, $125 million extension, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. The Nuggets officially confirmed the extension on Monday afternoon. For players drafted in the 2022 Draft, the deadline to sign rookie-scale contract extensions was 6 p.m. ET on Oct. 20.
ESPN story on the Denver Nuggets and starting shooting guard Christian Braun reaching a five-year, $125M extension: https://t.co/C4KaJCQo9S
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 20, 2025
Last season, Braun became a full-time starter for the Nuggets, posting 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game in 33.9 minutes per game while shooting 58% overall and 39.7% on 3-pointers.
Braun was a key contributor on the Nuggets’ championship team in 2022-23, scoring 15 points in Game 3 of the 2023 NBA Finals to help Denver to a 2-1 series lead.
With the additions of several veterans in the offseason, Denver is hoping its starters should get more rest in the regular season and not be so spent by the time the playoffs arrive. A deeper rotation in the postseason also should help the Nuggets in their quest to leapfrog the Thunder and get back to the NBA Finals.
The Nuggets are surrounding their best player, Nikola Jokić, with enough co-stars to give the franchise a chance to win multiple titles. New addition Cameron Johnson is a sharpshooting wing player who’s an upgrade from the departed Michael Porter Jr., whom the Nuggets traded to Brooklyn in a deal that also saved them some money and gave them roster flexibility.
Bruce Brown was a key component of the Nuggets’ championship run two years ago and is eager to return to the city where he enjoyed so much of his career success.
Veteran center Jonas Valančiūnas is likely to give Jokić some much-needed breathers while Braun, Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr. and stalwart point guard Jamal Murray should give Denver what it needs to succeed in the backcourt.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
