An important piece of the Denver Nuggets’ NBA Finals run is headed for free agency. Nuggets guard Bruce Brown is declining his $6.8 million player option, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Tuesday was the deadline for Brown to pick up his option and remain under contract for another season.

Bruce Brown has said he wants to stay in Denver. His decision was expected and doesn’t necessarily mean that he won’t return to the Nuggets for the 2023-2024 season. Brown can re-sign with Denver for a larger salary. The Nuggets can pay Brown up to $7.7 million next year.

It’s possible that another suitor will lure Brown away from the Nuggets with an offer that he can’t refuse. Brown proved to be a winning player in the postseason, averaging 12.0 points on 51.5% shooting from the field.

Brown scored in double digits in four of the five 2023 NBA Finals games. His 21-point performance on just 11 shot attempts in Game 4 helped push the Nuggets past the Miami Heat, helping to deliver Denver its first-ever championship. He was Denver’s fifth-leading scorer in the playoffs.

In the regular season, Brown averaged a career-high 11.5 points per game. The 26-year-old added 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per contest. He made 35.8% of his 3-point attempts.

Choosing to leave the Nuggets could significantly decrease Brown’s chances of winning another ring. Denver is favored to win the 2024 NBA Finals. Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon are all still under contract for at least two more seasons. Even Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is signed for another year.

The Nuggets are set to be well over the salary cap this summer.