The Denver Nuggets have two players who could still get rookie extensions before the deadline.
Christian Braun and Peyton Watson are both eligible, with the deadline coming on Monday at 6 p.m. ET.
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps thinks only one of the two will get a deal done: Braun.
“Braun’s deal feels most likely to happen,” Bontemps wrote on Thursday. “He’s too important to what Denver is trying to do, and cost certainty on his deal ahead of restricted free agency next summer will be critical.”
ESPN’s Bobby Marks has projected a five-year deal worth $126.5 million for Braun.
“A five-year, $126.5 million extension for Braun that starts at $21.8 million would be a solid compromise for both sides,” Marks wrote. “Braun’s salary next season ranks in the top 15 of shooting guards.”
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Braun was a key bench piece in his rookie season when the Nuggets won the title.
Last year, he stepped in seamlessly to the starting lineup after the departure of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
“He’s the one clear long-term building block the Nuggets have,” Bontemps wrote of Braun.
ESPN’s insiders don’t think Watson will get a deal, given that he’s too unproven to arrive at an agreeable price with him.
The Nuggets have some solid lineup continuity, although they did make one big change this offseason, essentially swapping out Michael Porter Jr. for Cam Johnson.
Braun should maintain a similar role to last year, and if he performs that well this season and in the ones to come, he’ll look worth whatever the Nuggets decide to pay him.
