Christian Braun, Nuggets Reportedly Discussing Contract Extension in $25M AAV Range

The Denver Nuggets and guard Christian Braun are discussing a rookie contract extension, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported Friday.

According to Fischer, "the low end" of the range Braun is looking for is estimated to be around $25 million per year.

NBA teams have until Oct. 20 to finalize rookie scale extensions for players selected in the 2022 draft.

Fischer reported that the Nuggets are only expected to commit to one rookie extension by that date.

If Braun is extended, that could leave Peyton Watson without a new deal due to what Fischer described as a "tricky luxury tax situation."

The Nuggets currently sit just $400,000 over the luxury tax line. After spending the last three seasons as a taxpaying team, Denver will need to either get below that threshold or pay a repeater penalty in 2025-26.

Both Braun and Watson are currently set to hit restricted free agency next spring. Watson spent most of the 2024-25 campaign coming off the bench, from which he contributed 8.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.

Braun meanwhile broke out as a starter last season while averaging 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists. He shot 47.7 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from from three in his third NBA campaign.

A deal worth more than $25 million per season would make Braun the third-highest paid player in Denver behind Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon.

Jokic is the only NBA player since 1984 to win an MVP award without a single All-Star teammate through the first decade of his career, Yahoo Sports' Tom Haberstroh reported last April.

Giving Braun a raise on his next deal could be a sign the Nuggets are expecting him to break out as Jokic's first All-Star teammate this fall.

The Nuggets have three more preseason games coming up before the 2025-26 regular season— and hopefully Braun's first All-Star campaign— tips off on Thursday, Oct. 23 with a road game against the Golden State Warriors.