There’s been a lot of discussion outside of the Denver Nuggets sphere about how much they ended up paying Christian Braun.

Three years ago, a $25 million per year contract for a young starting shooting guard you expect to get better wouldn’t have caused anyone to bat an eye. But ever since the second apron was implemented, the NBA world at large is getting more cost conscious, and decisions like the one the Nuggets made with Braun can be frowned upon.

Rewarding a player that’s done everything the Nuggets asked him to do? How dare they?!

When the Denver Nuggets drafted Christian Braun in 2022, they weren’t just betting on athleticism and energy — they were betting on a mentality. Three years later, that investment turned into a five-year, $125 million extension, signed this week. And if you listen to Braun talk about it, the payday isn’t the story. The belief is.

Braun’s immediate reaction to the deal wasn’t about status or lifestyle. It was relief — and a renewed sense of purpose.

“I’m really excited to be a Nugget — to focus on basketball, focus on winning, and doing things the right way,” he said.

“There’s no way for me to repay anybody for this other than winning and playing the right way.”

Braun made it clear that the business side of basketball doesn’t come naturally to him. “I don’t like negotiations,” he said. “You feel like you’re against people you love and people you care about. I’m just really excited for the way it went down and really happy that it’s over.”

For Braun, his willingness to accept and earn his role has also helped his relationship with Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray, who he offered credit to during this process as well. “Those are two of the guys that I’m very, very grateful for,” Braun said. “The trust they’ve given me… there’s no real way to repay them other than winning.”

The Nuggets now have Jokić, Murray, Gordon, and Braun all under long-term deals — a continuity window that will define the franchise’s next five years. Braun knows the weight of that opportunity.

“Every gym you walk into, you expect to win,” he said. “There aren’t many places in the NBA where you can do that every single night.”

It’s the type of “good pressure,” as he calls it, that pushes him to improve. Braun spent much of the summer refining his finishing — an area that improved dramatically last year — and tightening his handle to take on more secondary-creation reps.

Beyond his praise for Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, Braun also credited head coach David Adelman.

“He’s very to the point, very direct, cuts a lot of the fat out,” Braun said. “Maybe more than anybody, he’s believed in me and allowed me to be me.”

That idea — being himself — has become Braun’s mantra heading into Year 4.

“I won’t change how I play for anybody,” he said. “I don’t want to be anybody else. I just want to be the best version of myself, and I think that’s what’s best for the Denver Nuggets.”

From Adelman’s perspective, Braun’s next steps aren’t about improving some of the things he doesn’t do well.

“I think sometimes it’s not about the ‘what else can he do?’ It’s just continue to get better at what he does,” Adelman declared.

“When you start working on things that are outside of your game, you can get lost and confused really quickly. It’s all about just perfecting what you do well to compliment your teammates.”

Braun does need to improve in some areas for the Nuggets to be the best version of themselves. His three-point shooting volume (3.0 attempts per 36 minutes) must rise to adapt to modern NBA defenses. His defense must become more “pesky” (just 1.6 stocks per 36 minutes) rather than reactive to what the opposing stars want to do.

But even as his role expands, Braun’s message is consistent: do the little things, stay ready, play defense, and compete. He joked that he “hopes his workload goes up even more this year” and that he “never gets subbed out,” an emphasis on competitiveness and unwillingness to let go of the opportunity he’s earned.

Braun’s contract is a reward — but not a finish line. To him, it’s proof that Denver’s system and his work ethic align.

“That means the world to me,” he said. “It’s just validation at the end of the day.”

Validation that hard work still matters and unselfish play still gets recognized. Validation that a young player who once came off the bench for two seasons can, in buying into his role, become a cornerstone of a championship contender.

As the Nuggets work to win another title, the expectations for Braun will only rise.

There’s the simple reality of what $25 million per year means in the second apron era of the NBA. The Nuggets won’t be able to afford additional playmakers. They have Jokic, Murray, Gordon, and Cameron Johnson…right now. That might change in future years, and Braun may need to assume more scoring burden when the time comes. These years are for building up that foundation, and now that he’s been paid, his next step is to become even better. The best possible version of himself, whatever the Nuggets need that version of him to become, should be on the table.

When the time comes, Braun will have put in the work to be what the team needs him to be. That much is a certainty.