Christian Brown gets $125 million contract extension

The Denver Nuggets and swingman Christian Brown to have agreed to a five-year, $125 million rookie contract extension, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Brown, 24, has turned into a developmental gem for the Nuggets after being the 21st pick in the 2022 NBA draft and entering the league without a defined role. His agent, Bill Duffy of VME Basketball, negotiated a contract extension that will keep Brown an integral part of the Nuggets core through the 2030-31 season.

When he started his career with the Nuggets, Brown was viewed as an undersized guard who had a high IQ on the floor, but he needed time to develop into a two-way threat.

Now, as he prepares for his fourth season in Denver, Brown finds himself as one of the Nuggets’ most reliable players alongside Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, becoming the fifth player on their roster to make at least $20 million for the 2026-27 NBA season.

While the Nuggets could have waited to lock Brown up to a new long-term deal, CEOs Ben Tenzer and John Wallace have made it a priority to get their young, talented guard under contract before the start of the 2025-26 season.

Not only did they want to get it out of the way now before Brown became a restricted free agent, but the Nuggets also have more pressing matters to address next offseason with Nikola Jokic. this off season, Jokic turned down a $212 million contract extension from Denver since he can make more money waiting.

Neither Jokic nor the Nuggets are worried about the new deal for the three-time MVP being put on hold.

Before Brown extended the deadline Monday night, the Nuggets had deep discussions with him and Duffy about finding common ground on a new deal.

The two parties held their own negotiations during the weekendwhere it became clear that a deal was likely to be reached ahead of schedule, league sources told ClutchPoints. Given his value as a contributor on both ends of the floor, Brown is a Tenzer player and Wallace has made it clear they have no interest in leaving the organization anytime soon.

Before the extension was officially agreed to on Monday, HoopsHipe’s Michael Scotto reported that Brown and his representative centered on a five-year contract at the level of 115 to 125 million dollars. In the end, Brown got what he wanted: a five-year, $125 million extension to remain one of the young faces of the franchise.

The Nuggets now enter the 2025-26 season with their core group satisfied and ready to contend for another title.

In 79 games last season, 77 of which he started, Brown averaged 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 58.0 percent from the floor and 39.7 percent from 3-point range.