Christian Braun’s contract is drawing unwanted attention again, and this time the spotlight comes from outside Denver.
On Monday, Sam Quinn put together his top 15 worst contracts in the NBA and slotted Braun at No. 9. For a 25-year-old wing who is supposed to be part of the Nuggets’ young core, that’s a harsh label - especially with a five-year, $125 million deal that doesn’t even kick in until this coming season.
Braun wasn’t being celebrated as a bargain when the extension was signed just over a year ago, but the way it has aged has been brutal. His season included a rough stretch of play and injury trouble, and the contract has only looked heavier as Denver tries to untangle its financial mess this offseason.
The comparison game has even reached Peyton Watson, who has reportedly used Braun’s deal as a measuring stick and feels he should make at least that much. That’s not going to happen in Denver, but the feeling that Watson deserves more than Braun is easy to understand.
Quinn’s list only had eight players ahead of Braun: Patrick Williams of the Bulls, Gary Trent Jr. of the Bucks, Devin Booker of the Suns, De’Aaron Fox of the Spurs, Jakob Poeltl of the Raptors, Ja Morant of the Trail Blazers, Trae Young of the Wizards, and Joel Embiid of the 76ers. Several of those deals belong to stars on max or supermax money, while others are attached to veterans or players whose value has cratered. Braun stands out as the lone young role player recently signed into this kind of trouble.
That’s what makes this one sting for Denver. Braun was a meaningful piece during the NBA Finals as a rookie, which made the contract look like a bet on a rising contributor. Instead, the deal has become a warning sign.
If Braun had real trade value right now, he likely would have been moved already. The Nuggets’ best hope is that his difficult season was tied mostly to injury and that he can rebound. He’s still young enough, and there has been enough promise, to imagine him restoring some of that value.
Until then, Denver is left hoping the contract doesn’t keep dragging on the roster. If Braun doesn’t turn it around, this could end up sitting like an anchor through the rest of Nikola Jokic’s prime.
In Other News...
Peyton Watson Just Became Part Of A Bigger Nuggets Decision
The Cavaliers pause on Jonathan Kuminga has shifted their attention toward a different young wing with Denver ties, and Peyton Watson suddenly sits in the middle of a decision that could matter well beyond Cleveland. The Nuggets restricted free agent has drawn interest as a potential sign-and-trade target, with Cleveland looking at him as a fit for a wing spot it wants to upgrade.
To get there, the Cavaliers are also working the math, including possible ways to clear cap room by shopping veteran Dennis Schrder. For Denver, that makes Watson more than just another name in the rumor cycle, because any meaningful movement now has to account for whether the Nuggets are willing to engage on a deal for a player they still control. [Read more 🡒]
Jokic And The Nuggets Get An Early Test Fans Will Obsess Over
The Nuggets will get their first real measuring stick of the new season on Oct. 22, when they open in Oklahoma City against the Thunder at Paycom Center. It is the kind of early matchup that immediately tells you something about where a team stands, and this one brings together the last two MVPs in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic while Denver tries to put last seasons first-round exit behind it.
For the Nuggets, the timing makes it even more intriguing because the roster they bring back looks largely familiar, with the core intact as they head into another title chase. One subplot still hanging around the margins is Peyton Watsons contract situation, but the bigger picture is the same one that will follow Denver from opening night on: whether this group can start sharper and avoid letting a strong regular-season base turn into another short postseason stay. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Face A Peyton Watson Standoff With Real Wing Depth Stakes
The Nuggets are still working through a delicate summer negotiation with Peyton Watson, and the broader issue goes beyond one contract number. Denver has put a deal in the range of $16-18 million per year on the table for the restricted free agent, a figure that signals how much the team values his length, defense and potential on the wing. For a roster that has spent years chasing enough reliable depth around its core, keeping Watson in the fold has taken on real roster-building significance.
There is still a path where the talks drag on and the sides never fully line up, which would leave Denver juggling both short-term rotation needs and long-term control of the player. Watson's market is not just hypothetical, either, with Cleveland emerging as a noteworthy suitor if the Nuggets decide to explore a sign-and-trade. For Denver, the stakes are obvious: either secure a young wing before the situation hardens, or risk watching a useful piece become part of a much messier decision down the road. [Read more 🡒]