Christian Braun Eyes Healthy Comeback as Nuggets Shuffle Summer Roster
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Denver guard Christian Braun said he expects to rebound from an injury-plagued 2025/26 campaign and enter the first season of his five-year, $125 million extension at full strength.
“Sometimes it’s good to get punched in the mouth a little bit,” Braun told DNVR Sports. “I know I’ll bounce back and I know who I am as a player, so I’m really excited.”
Braun, 25, started 77 games during his breakout 2024/25 season but was limited to 44 appearances last year because of ankle problems.
Summer League Updates
TJ Bamba: The undrafted guard scored seven points with three rebounds and three assists in Denver’s second Summer League game Saturday. Bamba, who moved to Denver as a teenager and later played at Washington State, Villanova and Oregon, spent last season in Germany. “It’s a blessing, and I definitely want to take advantage of it,” he told the Denver Gazette.
Trevon Brazile: The second-round rookie sat out Saturday with a right shoulder strain. Brazile, who signed a standard NBA contract Friday, averaged 13.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.6 blocks in 36 games for Arkansas as a senior in 2025/26.
Roster Decisions
Jonas Valanciunas: Denver waived the veteran center before his $10 million salary for 2026/27 became fully guaranteed. According to the Denver Post, the move reflected concerns about Valanciunas’s defensive fit rather than cost-cutting by ownership.
Alpha Diallo: EuroLeague wing Alpha Diallo joined the Nuggets on a one-year contract over the weekend, adding perimeter depth ahead of training camp.
The Nuggets open the 2026/27 season looking to return to full health around a core that Braun called “a championship-built roster.”
Source: Hoops Rumors
