The Denver Nuggets may already be lining up their next move after dealing Peyton Watson, and the obvious name to watch is Christian Braun.
Denver’s decision to sign-and-trade Watson for a first-round pick and a second-round pick signaled what this offseason is about: cutting salary, even if the roster takes a hit. But that deal may also have given the Nuggets a new piece to work with - a Cleveland Cavaliers 2031 unprotected first that could be flipped before its value gets murky.
That pick sounds attractive on paper. An unprotected first five years out usually carries real weight.
But the NBA’s updated draft lottery rules change the math. If Cleveland finishes in the four-through-12 range, that selection would carry equal odds at the No. 1 pick, which makes it a lot harder to know exactly what Denver really has in hand.
That uncertainty is why the Nuggets may want to move quickly. If other teams catch on to the pick’s limitations, its trade value could slip. Braun stands out as the clearest candidate to be attached to it.
His contract is described as ugly, and Denver would likely love to get off it. Even with the Cavs’ first in the mix, that could still be a tough sell. The idea would be to bundle Braun with the 2031 Cleveland first and maybe Denver’s unprotected 2033 first-round pick swap, enough to persuade a rebuilding team to absorb the contract.
If that kind of package works, the Nuggets could even land a useful player back. But that would come with a cost of its own.
Trading both Watson and Braun in the same offseason would leave Denver without a key rotation piece and a starter, and failing to replace either would be a clear step backward. That becomes especially delicate with Nikola Jokic looming over the whole picture.
Jokic won’t sign a contract extension this summer. He’ll reach free agency, though he has said he plans to re-sign.
Even so, that situation is enough to make Denver uneasy. If the Nuggets keep pinching pennies, it could create the kind of opening that sends him elsewhere.
For now, the Watson deal may simply be the first domino. The assets from it could be used to chase Braun next, but with Jokic’s contract situation hanging over everything, the price of doing business may be higher than a few picks.
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