Christian Braun Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Kessler, Hendricks, Hyland, Braun, Gordon, Strawther

December 9th, 2025 at 9:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jazz center Walker Kessler indicated to the media that his season-ending left shoulder injury stems back to his college days at Auburn. Kessler only played five games before surgery was required.

“I’ve had a posterior labrum tear on my left shoulder since Auburn. I think the Tennessee game, I tore it and just kind of tried to play through and strengthen it,” Kessler said, per Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune. “The doctor explained it … there’s no amount of strength that’ll keep it from slipping out again and again. So he told me, ‘You got to have the surgery.'”

If he didn’t address the problem, Kessler could have endured many more issues with the shoulder during his career.

“Another thing is, the more you sublux it, the more risk of injury (there is), of destroying everything around it: you know, the rotator cuff, the anterior labrum, and so that’s why it was necessary,” Kessler explained.

Here’s more from the Northwest Division:

After suffering a severe leg injury last season, Taylor Hendricks has been in and out of the Jazz rotation and is now getting reps in the G League, Larsen notes. “I think right now, the G League minutes are so important for Taylor, because he needs as many repetitions as he can get at the reactive part of the sport that you just can’t replicate when you miss a year,” coach Will Hardy said. “Getting your body used to making those decisions and reacting and fully trusting your body in those moments is where we’re trying to get to with Taylor.” The 2023 lottery pick has appeared in 13 games with Utah this season.
Bones Hyland has at least temporarily displaced Rob Dillingham in the Timberwolves rotation, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “We’re 24 games in, and I thought it was time to try something different,” coach Chris Finch said. “(Hyland)’s been patient. He’s been playing really well in practice, doing everything we ask him to do. We need a spark there.” Hyland, who signed a one-year contract during the offseason to return to Minnesota, had 14 points and three assists in 16 minutes against Phoenix on Monday.
Nuggets coach David Adelman doesn’t expect Christian Braun (ankle) or Aaron Gordon (hamstring) to return to action before Christmas, Vinny Benedetto of the Denver Gazette tweets. Julian Strawther (back) is a little bit further along in his recovery process. He played some half court 3-on-3 after Tuesday’s practice.

Nuggets’ Christian Braun Out At Least Six Weeks With Ankle Sprain

November 14th, 2025 at 5:15pm CST by Rory Maher

Nuggets wing Christian Braun has been diagnosed with a left ankle sprain and will miss at least six weeks, which is when he’ll be reexamined, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (via Twitter).

The Nuggets put out a press release confirming the news (Twitter link).

Braun sustained the injury late in the first quarter during Wednesday’s win at the Clippers. While attempting to pressure James Harden near mid-court, Braun appeared to have his right foot briefly stepped on and then took an awkward step backward with his left foot and immediately reacted in pain (Twitter video link via Law Murray of The Athletic).

Braun, who signed a five-year, $125MM rookie scale extension on the final day he was eligible to so (October 20), emerged as a full-time starter for Denver in 2024/25, posting career-best numbers in virtually every major statistic, including points (15.4), rebounds (5.2), assists (2.6), steals (1.1) and minutes per game (33.9) in 79 appearances. His shooting line of .580/.397/.827 was also excellent.

The 21st overall pick in the 2022 draft, Braun hadn’t been quite as productive through 10 healthy games this season, averaging 11.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.9 APG and 0.9 SPG on .484/.214/.778 shooting in 30.8 MPG. But he’s still an important part of the rotation, particularly on defense, where he’s frequently tasked with slowing down the opposing team’s best perimeter scorer.

The 24-year-old guard/forward had been quite durable to this point in his career, only missing nine total games over his first three seasons. He’ll more than double that total because of the left ankle sprain — the Nuggets play 19 times over the next six weeks, Murray notes.

Braun isn’t the only Nugget dealing with an injury, as starting forward Cameron Johnson will miss Saturday’s game in Minnesota with a right bicep strain, tweets Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette. Superstar center Nikola Jokic is questionable due to a left wrist sprain.

With Braun out, Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Julian Strawther are candidates for more playing time. Peyton Watson seems likely to start in place of Johnson, though that’s just speculation.

Nuggets Notes: Watson, Johnson, Braun, Jokic, Jones, Brown, Strawther

November 13th, 2025 at 5:48pm CST by Rory Maher

After failing to come to terms on a rookie scale extension before the season began, Nuggets forward Peyton Watson will head to restricted free agency in the 2026 offseason, assuming he’s given a qualifying offer. He’ll have new representation when that time comes, having joined Klutch Sports Group, the agency announced (via Twitter).

As Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette tweets, Watson was previously represented by Excel Sports. The 23-year-old has averaged 6.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks in 21.1 minutes per contest through 11 games this season.

We have several more items on the Nuggets:

A pair of starters were forced to leave Wednesday’s win over the Clippers due to injuries, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Offseason addition Cameron Johnson exited in the first quarter with a right arm strain, while Christian Braun sustained a left ankle injury late in the first period and briefly tried to play through it before exiting in the second. Both players were ruled out at halftime. “Obviously, whatever happened wasn’t good enough for them to come back out and play the third quarter, so that’s concerning,” head coach David Adelman said after the team’s sixth consecutive win. “But I really don’t know, and I don’t think they do either. We have a full day here (in Los Angeles) tomorrow to kind of get all that stuff sorted out, which will be good for me, too. Because if they are out, or if they’re in, we have to figure out a way to make our rotation make sense. … So I’m hoping for the best.”
Entering Wednesday’s game, which was the second night of a back-to-back, the Nuggets were 0-4 (including the playoffs) when Nikola Jokic scored 50-plus points. After an incredibly efficient 55-point outing against the Clips — he shot 18-of-23 from the field, 5-of-6 on three-pointers, and 14-of-16 from the foul line in just 34 minutes — the three-time MVP was more focused on the result than his individual performance. “I think I scored, a couple of times, more than 50, and we lost every time. I think this is the first time I scored 50 that we won. So it’s a good feeling,” Jokic said, per Durando. The Serbian center has been on a remarkable tear during Denver’s six-game winning streak, notes Beth Harris of The Associated Press, averaging 35.8 points, 12.0 rebounds, 11.0 assists and 1.8 steals on .739/.556/.857 shooting over that span (33.3 minutes).
Second-year forward Spencer Jones, who is on a two-way contract, has emerged as a defensive specialist for the Nuggets, according to Durando. Jones, who did an admirable job of slowing down James Harden on Wednesday, is fully aware that his playing time might be limited from game to game. “You just have to come in, guard one of the better players out there,” he said. “You don’t really know when you’re gonna come in, when you’re gonna go out, what games you’re gonna play. So it’s just always being ready.”
Bruce Brown‘s role with the Nuggets is different than it was when he helped the team win its first title in 2023, Durando writes for The Denver Post. The veteran guard operated on the ball more the last time around, and he acknowledges he’s still getting used to his new responsibilities. “Little different. I’m still getting adjusted to it,” Brown said of round two with Denver. “Obviously, when you come back to a situation where you were before, you think it’s gonna be exactly the same, but it’s not, obviously. But all I care about is winning. I’m trying to put another banner up. So I’m still getting adjusted to it. Sometimes you might see me come out of the game a little frustrated, just because I’m still getting used to it.”
Free agent additions Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. have squeezed out younger members of the rotation, such as third-year wing Julian Strawther, who is playing just 8.1 minutes per game after averaging 21.3 MPG in 2024/25. Jokic has been pleased with Strawther’s effort when he’s had a chance to play, as Durando relays. “He stays ready,” Jokic said. “He’s aggressive when he comes in the game, and that’s a good thing. He’s trying on defense. And I think that’s the mindset that he should have.”

Nuggets Notes: Braun, Watson, Valanciunas, Jokic

October 21st, 2025 at 7:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

It went down to the wire but Christian Braun was able to work out a rookie scale extension with the Nuggets. Braun signed a five-year deal worth $125MM and expressed relief on Tuesday, as The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando relays.

“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.”

The process of working out a long-term agreement that he and his reps and the team were comfortable with made it a difficult exercise.

“Negotiations are kind of maybe not my thing,” he said. “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.”

We have more on the Nuggets:

There was mutual interest between the team and Peyton Watson regarding a rookie scale extension but those negotiations were complicated by the Nuggets’ desire to get Braun signed, Durando reports. Getting Braun under a long-term deal was seen as a higher priority due to the restrictions of the second tax apron. As Durando notes, if the Nuggets had also signed Watson for more than $7MM annually, they would have been projected as a second-apron team for 2026/27 with three more roster spots to eventually fill.
Speaking of Watson, the coaching staff is intent on increasing his ball-handling responsibilities and he’s grateful for their belief in him, Durando writes. “Our coaching staff has really put a lot of trust and belief in me this entire preseason, training camp,” Watson said, “to go out there and kind of play more like myself and have the ball in my hands. Make decisions. So I’ve been able to work on a lot of things just in live-action games against really, really talented players. I think that’s always good for confidence. It’s always good for my sharpness. And I feel great.”
The Nuggets have struggled to find a productive backup to Nikola Jokic at center ever since Jokic exploded onto the national landscape. Can Jonas Valanciunas finally solve the problem? Durando looks back at Jokic’s previous backups, detailing year-by-year the dropoff that occurred when the superstar center wasn’t on the floor.
The leading members of the team’s revamped front office want to keep Jokic happy. Keeping the three-time MVP in the loop is one of the ways they’re trying to ensure that he remains with the franchise for the long haul. “It would be crazy to not listen to his advice and his input, just because he’s so important to the organization,” executive VP of basketball operations Ben Tenzer told The Athletic’s Sam Amick. “But also, he sees (the game) a different way than we see it and how our scouts see it. He’s a brilliant basketball mind. So yeah, we have to ask him how he feels about things in general. And sometimes he’ll have opinions, sometimes he won’t. But it’s always good to just connect with him. That’s just a sign of respect.”

Contract Details: Rookie Extensions, Wallace, Cooke, Nesmith

October 21st, 2025 at 3:43pm CST by Luke Adams

There are no surprises in the official terms of the last few rookie scale extensions signed ahead of Monday’s deadline, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. The salary figures reported for Nuggets guard Christian Braun (five years, $125MM), Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (four years, $100MM), and Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe (four years, $90MM) were all accurate down to the dollar, with no player or team options, trade kickers, or partial/non-guarantees.

While the extensions for Braun and Sharpe are structured with 8% annual raises and increase from year to year, Daniels’ deal with Atlanta is worth a flat $25MM per season. It’s the same structure the team used a year ago when it signed Jalen Johnson to a five-year, $150MM rookie scale extension that has annual cap hits of $30MM. In each case, the Hawks appear happy to sacrifice a little short-term cap flexibility for greater maneuverability down the road.

Here are more details of some of the contracts recently signed around the NBA:

Keaton Wallace‘s one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Hawks is partially guaranteed for $318,217, Hoops Rumors has learned. Wallace would be assured of earning his full $2,296,274 salary if he remains under contract through January 7.
Javonte Cooke‘s new two-way contract with the Trail Blazers covers two years, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. Portland had Cooke in camp on an Exhibit 10 contract and could’ve converted him directly to a one-year, two-way deal, but chose to waive him and re-sign him in order to tack on that extra year.
Aaron Nesmith‘s two-year, $40.4MM extension with the Pacers includes a 7.5% trade kicker, Hoops Rumors has learned.

Christian Braun Signs Five-Year Extension With Nuggets

October 20th, 2025 at 4:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

4:35 pm: Braun has officially signed his five-year extension, the Nuggets announced (via Twitter).

1:35 pm: The Nuggets and guard Christian Braun have agreed to a five-year, $125MM rookie scale extension, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (Twitter link). There are no team or player options in the agreement, Tony Jones of The Athletic tweets.

Earlier on Monday, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto indicated there was cautious optimism between the two parties than an extension agreement would be worked out. The new deal will begin in 2026/27.

After being an important member of the team’s bench unit during his first two years in Denver, Braun moved into the starting lineup last season following the departure of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency. The 21st pick of the 2022 draft posted career-high numbers across the board, averaging 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 79 games with .580/.397/.827 shooting splits.

Braun is the eighth player in his draft class to sign or agree to a rookie scale extension, joining Paolo Banchero, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith Jr., Keegan Murray, Nikola Jovic and Shaedon Sharpe.

The numbers that Braun and his agent Bill Duffy agreed to fall in the range of Smith’s agreement of five years and $122MM.

With this agreement, Denver has now committed to four of its starters through at least the 2027/28 season. Braun joins superstar Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray, though Jokic has a player option on his contract for ’27/28.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, the Nuggets also now have more than $193MM committed to six players for the 2026/27 season. The cap for next season projects to be $166MM, with a tax line of $201MM and aprons in the neighborhood of $210MM and $223MM.

Scotto’s Latest: Braun, Daniels, Coffey, T. Smith, Napier

October 20th, 2025 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

There’s “cautious optimism” that the Nuggets will work out a rookie scale extension with Christian Braun before today’s deadline at 5:00 pm Central time, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Scotto hears that negotiations between the team and Braun’s agent, Bill Duffy of WME Sports, are focusing on a five-year agreement in the range of $115MM to $125MM.

After being an important member of the team’s bench unit during his first two years in Denver, Braun moved into the starting lineup last season following the departure of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency. Braun posted career-high numbers across the board, averaging 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 79 games with .580/.397/.827 shooting splits.

Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported over the weekend that Braun and the Nuggets seemed unlikely to work out a deal before the deadline, but it appears progress may have been made over the past two days.

Scotto shares more information from around the league:

League sources tell Scotto that the Hawks and Dyson Daniels remain far apart in negotiation talks as the deadline nears. Daniels and his agent, Daniel Moldovan, are asking for an extension valued at $150MM over five years, while the team’s offer is in the neighborhood of five years at $115MM. Daniels was a valuable addition in his first season in Atlanta, earning First Team All-Defensive honors while leading the league in steals and being named Most Improved Player. However, Scotto points out that the Hawks made two significant free agent additions over the summer in Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard who could cut into Daniels’ playing time. Both players are better shooters, and Scotto suggests they could be on the court late in games instead of Daniels if Atlanta needs more offense.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers was a strong proponent for Amir Coffey to earn a roster spot, league sources tell Scotto. Rivers coached Coffey during his rookie season with the Clippers and believes he’ll be a valuable addition in Milwaukee. The 6’7″ swingman, who was in camp on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 deal, connected at 40.9% from three-point range last season. Milwaukee still has a roster move to make with Tyler Smith and Andre Jackson Jr. in contention for the final spot. Scotto hears that the Bucks spent the weekend exploring the trade market for Smith, a second-round pick in 2024 who appeared in 33 games last season. He’ll likely be waived if the Bucks can’t find a taker before this afternoon’s deadline, Scotto confirms.
Former NBA player Shabazz Napier has joined the Wizards as a coaching apprentice, sources tell Scotto. Napier, 34, played for Bayern Munich in the EuroLeague last season.

Extension Rumors: Daniels, Ivey, Duren, Eason, Braun, Sharpe

October 18th, 2025 at 7:39pm CST by Arthur Hill

After talking to agents and executives around the league, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line states in his latest Substack column (subscription required) that there will likely be few, if any, rookie scale extensions reached before Monday’s deadline that carry an average annual value larger than $25MM. Fischer adds that teams have become more cautious about handing out large deals because of the restrictions that accompany the first and second aprons.

He points to Hawks guard Dyson Daniels as someone who should be in good position to match the five-year, $150MM extensions that teammate Jalen Johnson and Orlando guard Jalen Suggs both received last offseason. However, sources tell Fischer that Atlanta’s front office is willing to let Daniels test restricted free agency next year if he won’t sign on the team’s terms.

Fischer notes that Daniels’ agent, Daniel Moldovan, also represents Josh Giddey, who just went through a months-long standoff with the Bulls in restricted free agency. Fischer adds that Daniels would likely be entering a more robust market for restricted free agents than the one that Giddey faced.

Fischer offers more information on players eligible for rookie scale extensions:

Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren haven’t made much progress in their extension talks with the Pistons, sources tell Fischer. He suggests that management might be extra cautious with Ivey following arthroscopic surgery on his right knee this week. Ivey’s camp expects an active market if he does hit free agency, even though he’s also coming off a fractured left tibia that cost him most of last season. Sources describe negotiations with Duren as “tepid” so far, per Fischer, who adds that his representatives are asking for a new deal worth much more than $30MM in AAV and are also optimistic about his prospects on the open market.
The Rockets are hoping to sign Tari Eason to an extension that’s “significantly lower” than the five-year, $122MM deal that Jabari Smith Jr. accepted this summer, according to Fischer. The outcome of the Eason negotiations will affect what Houston is willing to give Kevin Durant in his extension talks, Fischer adds. With Amen Thompson expected to receive a max extension next offseason, Houston is being careful about not overloading its salary commitments. Fischer talked to capologists who said they would recommend limiting any Durant offers to $80MM over two years. As Fischer notes, it’s not certain that Durant would remain with the Rockets at that number.
It seems unlikely that Christian Braun will reach an extension agreement with the Nuggets, Fischer states. Sources tell him that Denver is already sending signals that it doesn’t want to become a taxpaying team next season, while Braun and his camp are hoping for a deal at $25MM in average annual value. The Nuggets are also holding extension talks with Peyton Watson, but Fischer suggests a new deal with him may not happen unless they can’t agree to terms with Braun.
Fischer views Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe as the most likely remaining candidate to hammer out an extension before the deadline. Rival teams that Fischer contacted expect Portland to give Sharpe something in the neighborhood of $100MM over four years.
Suns center Mark Williams, Jazz center Walker Kessler and Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin all appear headed for restricted free agency, Fischer states. Of the three, Fischer points to Mathurin as the most likely to change teams because of Indiana’s reluctance to add more long-term salary.

Nuggets Notes: Two-Big Lineup, Braun, Watson, Murray, Jones, Delk

October 16th, 2025 at 1:14pm CST by Luke Adams

After being named the Nuggets‘ permanent head coach in the spring, David Adelman has shown during the preseason that he’s willing to experiment with unusual lineup combinations to see what clicks, writes Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette.

One of those lineups has seen centers Nikola Jokic and Jonas Valanciunas share the court. Adelman, who has used the two big men together for just a couple minutes in the second quarter in each of the past two games, admitted prior to Tuesday’s preseason matchup with Chicago that the unit is a work in progress, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscription required).

“I thought it was hilarious to watch it on tape,” Adelman said. “We haven’t had a ton of time (practicing with) those guys. They’ve scripted together, but they haven’t played together. But it’s kind of like, rip the Band-Aid off and just see what happens.

“… If they end up playing together a lot, we’ll slowly but surely add a package for those two guys,” he continued. “And not just for them, but to make the other three guys comfortable. I’ve made this point about Houston. Offensively, with the two bigs, (Alperen) Sengun was the point person, and (Steven) Adams just crushed the glass. So it’s like, our personalities are a little bit different. Val can crash the glass, but he’s also skilled. So I have to find a way to get those guys comfortable in space so they’re not right on top of each other.”

We have more on the Nuggets:

Both eligible for rookie scale extensions until Monday, fourth-year players Christian Braun and Peyton Watson have shown this month that they’re still adding new elements to their games, Durando writes in another story for The Denver Post. Braun has exhibited an increased willingness to take the ball to the basket, while Watson has operated on the ball more frequently this fall than in the past, Durando notes. Braun and Watson will be eligible for restricted free agency in 2026 if they don’t sign new deals before the season begins.
Jamal Murray has a history of starting seasons slow, but he looks well positioned to change that narrative this year, Benedetto writes for The Denver Gazette. Murray scored 30 points on 18 shots in Tuesday’s win over Chicago and appears to be “physically and mentally” ready for the season, says Benedetto.
Within the same story, Benedetto observes that two-way player Spencer Jones has frequently been used as the 10th man in Denver’s rotation this preseason, ahead of players like Jalen Pickett, Julian Strawther, and DaRon Holmes. The former undrafted rookie out of Stanford, entering his second season on a two-way contract with the Nuggets, has been lauded by Adelman for his defensive versatility.
The Nuggets have hired former NBA guard Tony Delk as a scout, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Delk, who appeared in 545 regular season games for eight teams from 1996-2006, most recently served as a pro personnel scout for the Mavericks.

Fischer’s Latest: Braun, M. Williams, Kessler, Markkanen, Love

October 10th, 2025 at 12:52pm CST by Luke Adams

As was the case a year ago, some of the players eligible for rookie scale extensions this fall are seeking new deals with an average annual value of $30MM, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

One of those players, Fischer writes, is Nuggets wing Christian Braun. League sources who have spoken to Fischer suggest that the low end of an extension for Braun could be in the neighborhood of $25MM annually.

Braun, 24, made a strong case for a lucrative new contract in his first season as a full-time starter in 2024/25, averaging 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.1 steals in 33.9 minutes per game. All of those numbers were career highs, as were his shooting percentages of 58.0% from the floor, 39.7% on three-pointers, and 82.7% from the free throw line.

While Braun is a viable candidate for a new deal ahead of the October 20 deadline, teammate Peyton Watson appears unlikely to be extended before the season, according to Fischer, who explains that Denver’s cap and tax situation going forward will make the club reluctant to lock in too many role players on guaranteed multiyear deals.

Here’s more from Fischer:

The Suns aren’t considered likely to work out a rookie scale extension with center Mark Williams this month, Fischer reports. Sources tell The Stein Line that Phoenix would prefer to continue evaluating Williams during the 2025/26 season and see whether he can have a healthier year after not playing more than 44 games in any of his first three NBA seasons. The big man would be a restricted free agent next summer.
Confirming a prior report from The Athletic, Fischer writes that the Jazz and Walker Kessler have no momentum toward a rookie scale extension and that the young center is expected to become a restricted free agent in 2026. Not extending Kessler now would also make him easier to trade during the season if Utah decides to go in that direction. The Lakers have repeatedly been identified as a team with interest, and Fischer hears the Suns eyed Kessler before trading for Williams in June.
While the Jazz remain open to listening to inquiries on Lauri Markkanen, they’re not actively looking to move the standout forward, says Fischer. In the short term, Kevin Love is the more obvious trade candidate in Utah, Fischer continues, observing that Love’s 20-minute stint in Wednesday’s preseason opener had teams wondering if the Jazz were trying to showcase him for potential suitors. While I’d be surprised if Utah is able to get anything for Love on the trade market, finding a team willing to sign him to a minimum-salary contract could benefit the Jazz, since he’d be more inclined to give up money in a buyout if he has a new destination lined up.