KU Jayhawks’ Christian Braun says ‘everybody knows’ he wants to remain in Denver
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Christian Braun enters contract year after breakout season as Nuggets starter.
- Nuggets leadership highlights Braun’s impact, hints at extension talks ongoing.
- Denver eyes deep playoff run with revamped roster and Braun's expanded role.
Former University of Kansas guard Christian Braun’s four-year, $13,769,157 rookie contract with the NBA’s Denver Nuggets expires after the upcoming 2025-26 season.
Though technically the 2022 NCAA/2023 NBA champion could become a restricted free agent at season’s end, it’s been widely speculated he’ll sign an extension either this preseason or sometime during the upcoming campaign.
“I don’t want to be anywhere besides being a Denver Nugget. I think everybody knows that,” Braun said, seated next to teammate Aaron Gordon at Monday’s Nuggets media day in Denver.
“There’s no frustration. I think that it’s going to happen at some point. Whatever happens, happens,” the 24-year-old Braun added of signing a new deal.
“And I think that the most important part is I need to show up and do my job. I think that’s how I’ve always been. So that doesn’t change. I think that I owe it to these guys. I owe it to the city of Denver. I owe it to these people to show up and do what I do, continue to work hard, to put the work in. All that stuff will take care of itself. And I know that.”
NBA analysts have said Braun can expect to sign up to a five-year deal in the $30 million per year range.
After playing a key role as a reserve his rookie season for the NBA champion Nuggets as well as in 2023-24, his second year in the league, he emerged as a full-time starter last season in year three.
Known as a great defender, Braun averaged 15.4 points a game on a career-best 58% shooting. He hit 39.7% of his 3s for a Nuggets team that lost to Oklahoma City in seven games in the 2025 Western Conference semifinals. He also averaged 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals per contest a year ago.
“Christian is a pedigree guy. He’s won at every single level (Blue Valley Northwest High School, KU, pros). He’s got respect not only within our organization, among our team, but across the NBA,” Jon Wallace, Nuggets executive vice president of player personnel, said at media day.
“... You saw what he’s able to do in terms of setting a tempo and a culture for us,” Wallace added. “Can’t comment too much, but we have had preliminary conversations. We hope to kind of build upon that (the) next couple days moving forward. He’s a large part of what we do and we look forward to it.”
Peyton Watson of the Nuggets is also eligible for a rookie contract extension at this time.
“We won’t comment on any contract negotiations or extensions, but having said that, they (Braun and Watson) both have huge roles coming up this year, and we feel like they’re both ready to take take a step, and we hope they’re here for a long time,” Ben Tenzer, executive vice president of basketball operations, said Monday.
Braun is looking to have a banner season in year four in the pros.
“I think each year I’ve got to prove myself. I think that’s the most important part,” Braun said. “Our team is so deep. Last year I played good, played bad. I knew I was going to play a ton of minutes. So every single night I’ve got to be ready to play. I need to prove myself in training camp and practice.”
This could be, on paper, the best Nuggets team Braun has been part of.
“Most importantly this year is everything we’ve asked for, everything everybody in this locker room has wanted, we have,” Braun said. “Everything we need is inside our locker room right now. We have new energy, new coaches, new players. We’ve got shooting. We’ve got defense. Literally everything we’ve ever asked for, we have.
“So I don’t want to look back and try to blame whatever it was last year, the year before that. Let’s just go do it this year. I think that’s the biggest point. Make sure there’s no excuses here. There’s not many opportunities we can have a team that’s talented, this deep. So we’ve got to take the most out of each opportunity, make the most out of this team.”
This story was originally published September 29, 2025 at 5:00 PM with the headline "KU Jayhawks’ Christian Braun says ‘everybody knows’ he wants to remain in Denver."
