After the 2023 championship, it’s been back-to-back playoff exits—failing to reach the Western Conference Finals. To change their fate, the Nuggets’ front office made several smart moves to have a better bench and provide some breathing space for Nikola Jokic. They even flipped Michael Porter Jr.’s mega contract and saved almost $17 million, completely pulling themselves out of salary cap jail. But now it’s time to pay up. Not to any recent additions, but a player who has quietly risen and left his mark.

We are talking about the 2022 draftee Christian Braun. On the latest episode of the Game Theory Podcast, Sam Vecenie & Bryce Simon spoke highly about the 24-year-old guard. The former was confident that the deal would be done soon. “Another one that I think gets done. I think Christian Braun gets done. Seems like Jokic absolutely loves him. Yeah. Like first and foremost, like that’s, that’s the best. The guy on your team absolutely adores you,” Vecenie declared. There is no doubt that the Joker has taken a liking to the young guard.

In fact, it started during Braun’s rookie year. Nikola Jokic, being the veteran, advised the rookie at the time to be more attentive and serious while stretching. But the Kansas alum was never too keen on that. So, the Joker took matters into his own hands. He grabbed Braun’s mat, walked it to the other side of the court, and placed it next to his own. “You’re gonna do this every day,” Jokic told Braun. “Right here.” Till today, that practice is in effect, and they even race to the length of the court.

Apart from building a relationship with Jokic, Braun is doing the right things on the court, too. Vecenie added, “He’s perfect playing off Jokic because he’s such an active cutter and because he can knock down threes. That’s the big step for him moving forward: can he become like a consistent five, three-point attempts per game, 38 to 40% three point shooter? If he does that, he’s like an incredibly valuable player.” His prediction was a minimum $100 million on a 4-year deal, which can range between $125-$145 million.

Jokic’s unparalleled basketball IQ amplifies Braun’s role. Jokic, who averaged a triple-double (26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, 10.2 assists) in the 2024-25 regular season—becoming only the third player ever to do so—excels at reading defenses and finding cutters like Braun. In the 2025 playoffs, the Nuggets’ starting lineup of Jokic, Jamal Murray, Porter, Aaron Gordon, and Braun achieved a +10.3 net rating over 142 minutes in their second-round series against OKC, proving their offensive harmony before the eventual loss.

Braun’s off-ball movement and 37% career three-point shooting (on low volume) punish defenses that collapse on Jokic, who faced frequent double- and triple-teams.

Not to forget, Braun has led the NBA in fastbreak points in 2024-25, a statistic enhanced by the 3x MVP’s ability to grab defensive rebounds and fire outlet passes from difficult angles, setting up Braun for easy transition scoring opportunities.

Defensively, Braun’s versatility—guarding wings like James Harden in the 2025 playoffs—allows Jokic to roam as a help defender, contributing to Denver’s league-leading active hands (Jokic: 2.0 steals/game; Braun: 1.0+).

Let’s look at his stats from the previous season. Christian Braun averaged 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. Add to this his monstrous efficiency, 58% from the field, 39.7% from beyond the arc. His true-shooting percentage of 65.6% also ranked fifth in the league for players averaging at least 30 minutes. From January 15th to March 10th, Braun recorded a 26-game streak of double-digit performances. So, the extension seems like a no-brainer.

Braun’s synergy with Jokic directly influences his contract value, as Denver views him as Jokic’s “perfect wingman” essential for contending during the superstar’s prime. Braun enters the final year of his rookie deal in 2025-26, with a verified salary of $4,921,797 (team option exercised in October 2024).

He becomes a restricted free agent in 2026, giving the Nuggets matching rights but pressuring them to extend now to avoid a bidding war. Negotiations have been underway since July, with Braun eligible for a rookie-scale extension. Market comps include Jabari Smith Jr.’s five-year, $122 million deal (average annual value $24.4 million), setting a benchmark for two-way wings.

Do Nikola Jokic’s contractual talks affect the Nuggets?

Like the 24-year-old Braun, even the Joker is up for an extension. But the thing is, he is ready to delay it next season. ESPN’s Bobby Marks confirmed that the three-time MVP is in no rush to do so. Jokic is under contract through the 2027-28 season but holds a $62.8 million player option in the final year of his deal.“Jokic is eligible now to sign a three-year, $206 million extension, but has delayed talks until next summer.” Marks also added the financial benefit that the Nuggets superstar will receive.

“By waiting another year, he would then be eligible to add a fourth year and an additional $87 million.” That another year puts Nikola Jokic right in the midst of the 2027 summer of the hottest free agents. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry, too, will enter the free agency market that year. So that should be a sign of worry. But not for the Nuggets front office. “No worry at all. It’s the smart move from his side, if I’m being honest,” the executive said.

With the addition of Cam Johnson, Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Jonas Valanciunas, this truly is a roster with depth, unlike the previous two seasons. Maybe if things don’t work out with this roster, then it’s time for the Joker to play his cards and look for another team that can win the prize.