The Denver Nuggets have trusted rookie Christian Braun with minutes in the NBA Finals. Boardroom takes a look at his current contract and career earnings.
NBA rookies, particularly ones drafted to playoff teams, rarely get a chance to land significant minutes in their first season. Work is an absolute must to prove that a first-year player is ready for NBA basketball and what’s to be asked of him on a team in the pursuit of a championship.
Christian Braun put in the necessary work, earning himself the opportunity to prove himself when the Denver Nuggets gave him postseason minutes — and he has risen to the occasion.
Denver selected Braun with the 21st pick of the 2022 NBA Draft after spending three years with the Kansas Jayhawks, winning an NCAA championship his junior season. He is a versatile forward that plays with high energy, an attribute he’s displayed numerous times during the 2023 NBA Finals.
With an entry-level contract at roughly $13 million over four years, Boardroom breaks down the details of Denver’s Christian Braun contract, as well as his career earnings thus far.
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Christian Braun Contract Details and Salary
All figures courtesy of Spotrac.
Years: 4 (includes two team options)
Total value: $13,769,157
Average annual value: $3,442,289
Free agency: 2026 (if both options are exercised)
2022-23 salary: $2,808,600
Upcoming annual salary earnings
2023-24: $2,949,120
2024-25: $3,089,640 team option
2025-26: $4,921,797 team option
The last two years of Braun’s contract are team options. He is still capable of playing his way into receiving a rookie extension, though he likely has a ways to go before coming close to the contract his teammate Michael Porter Jr. received. Over half of the remaining money is in those club option years, including over $4 million in 2025-26. Braun can certainly raise his value to give the team a reason to commit to him, whether with those two seasons or more.
Christian Braun’s Career Earnings
TOTAL NBA CAREER EARNINGS THROUGH 2022-23: $2,808,600
ESTIMATED CAREER EARNINGS THROUGH 2025-26: $13,769,157
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