The Nuggets will train their 2025 membership choices on Christian Braun, Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther, the group introduced Thursday morning.
All three strikes had been anticipated, with Denver needing reasonably priced rotation gamers subsequent season, when Jamal Murray’s max contract extension will enhance payroll and a Potential Aaron Gordon extension may additionally come into pressure. Braun, Watson and Strawther every have rookie contracts, making them vital counterweights to stability a really excessive cap chart.
The Nuggets now have $199.48 million in salaries for 13 gamers for the 2025-26 season, together with three contracts with participant choices.
This can be a fourth-year group choice for Braun and Watson, who will enter the ultimate 12 months of their rookie contracts in 2025-26. Braun’s estimated cap hit might be $4.9 million, based on Spotrac. Watson’s might be value $4.3 million. They had been each chosen by Denver within the first spherical of the 2022 draft.
Strawther’s is a third-year choice, which means his contract contains one other group choice after the 2025-26 season. He was drafted twenty ninth general in 2023. His estimated cap hit subsequent season might be $2.7 million.
The Nuggets intend to make use of all three gamers of their nine-man rotation this 12 months. Braun and Strawther vie for beginning place in coaching camp after lack of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free company. Watson is coping with a soft-tissue hamstring damage that stored him out of Denver’s first two preseason video games final weekend.
“He acquired by way of about half the follow. I do know they’re slowly progressing him,” Nuggets assistant coach David Adelman mentioned Wednesday. “These accidents are the worst, the tender tissue ones. However I simply spoke to him. He feels a lot better. The truth is, he was capable of attend some live shows immediately. It wasn’t 5 in opposition to 5, however shut. Some three in opposition to three. So sure, he’s progressing steadily.
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