It was considered a big leap by Denver when it let Kentavious Caldwell-Pope walk and slid Christian Braun into his starting slot a year ago, but it couldn’t have worked out much better. Braun had a breakout season where he averaged 15.4 points a game while shooting 39.7% on 3-points, plus grabbed 5.2 rebounds a game while being a plus defender at the guard spot.
Which is why the Nuggets locked him up with an extension to his rookie contract, five years, $125 million, a [story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/46660934/nuggets-christian-braun-reaches-125m-extension-agent-says) and confirmed by other reports. This is a straight five with no options on either side. This extension kicks in for the 2026-27 season, this season Braun will make $4.9 million on the final year of his rookie deal.
This is a good deal for both sides. Braun gets paid (in the ballpark of what Jabari Smith Jr., from the same draft class, was paid), and the Nuggets lock up a key starter who has a good on-court connection with Nikola Jokic for what will be a very reasonable 13% of the cap. Denver now has four of its starters (Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Braun) under contract for this season and the two beyond it. (Jokic has a player option that final year but has [said he plans to be a Nugget forever](https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/nikola-jokic-says-my-plan-is-to-be-a-nugget-forever).)
Braun fits well with those starters and gives Denver some pop in transition — he led the league in fast break points last season. It helps when Jokic is the one throwing outlet passes.
With Braun’s extension, plus Jokic making $59 million next season and Jamal Murray making $50.1, the Nuggets have $193 million on the books next season for six players. That has Denver $8 million below the luxury tax line with at least eight roster spots to fill, and they are $30 million below the second apron of the salary cap, which history suggests is a line this ownership group will not cross.
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