Christian Braun on contract extension: ‘Really excited for the way it went down’

Christian Braun probably won’t have a career as an agent after he’s done playing basketball.

“Negotiations are kind of maybe not my thing,” he said Tuesday at Ball Arena, 24 hours after he signed a five-year, $125 million contract extension with the Nuggets. “Kind of felt like you’re kind of against them for a little bit. But I think it worked out really, really well. I was really, really happy with the outcome. I’m very grateful for everybody involved.”

Braun, 24, is suddenly under contract through 2031, longer than anyone on Denver’s roster as the 2025-26 season nears. The shooting guard signed his rookie extension hours before Monday’s deadline for 2022 first-round picks to do so. Denver wanted to prioritize a long-term deal in exchange for a slightly lower average annual value as the team faces salary cap challenges in future years, league sources told The Denver Post.

“It is a little stressful,” Braun said. “Like I said, I don’t like the negotiations just because you feel like you’re against people you love and people you care about. But I’m just really excited for the way it went down and just really happy that it’s over with.”

Braun described the contract as “validation” and expressed relief that he can go into the new season, which begins Thursday for the Nuggets, with a clear mind on winning. He averaged 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game last season, making him a candidate for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award in his third year. Now he enters his fourth with a starting job secured.

“I got drafted here,” he said. “I never changed schools or teams in high school. I never changed in college. And I don’t want to change (teams) in the NBA. I want to be here. I want to be a big part of winning. I want to be a really big part of what happens here and the success that happens in Denver. I want to be a big part of the community. I want to be around these guys.”