The Denver Nuggets have some big decisions ahead of them this offseason as they look to bounce back from a brutal first round exit against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Nuggets were clearly lacking in both athleticism and size in that series, which was a particularly rough one for shooting guard Christian Braun.
Braun's massive contract extension is set to kick in next season, and recently, NBA insider Marc Stein detailed some of the challenges Denver faces in finding a suitable trade partner for him.
“(Cam) Johnson is naturally seen as much more movable than Braun with just one season left on his contract at $23.1 million,” reported Stein on his Substack, also noting that “…Braun is routinely described in Denver as one of (Nikola) Jokić's favorite teammates.”
These two factors certainly make it seem like a long shot that the Nuggets will be able to find a good trade for Braun without parting ways with other assets.
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints previously reported that the Nuggets were likely to explore trade scenarios involving both Braun and Johnson this summer in the wake of their playoff collapse. As Stein noted, Johnson's expiring contract makes him a much easier salary to move, despite the fact that he had a down season with the Nuggets after getting traded there from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Michael Porter Jr.
Ironically enough, the current version of Porter Jr. would probably solve a lot of problems for the Nuggets, but the team decided it could no longer trust him after injuries and inconsistencies plagued him during the 2024-25 season.
In any case, it's shaping up to be an eventful next few months in the Mile High City.
