Nuggets players address contract talks while defense becomes a training-camp priority
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DENVER — With the Oct. 20 rookie-scale extension deadline approaching, several 2022 first-round picks said they hope to remain long-term fixtures for the Denver Nuggets.
Guard Christian Braun told Sportskeeda he would prefer to spend his entire career with the franchise, likening that loyalty to his long stints with past teams at the AAU, high-school and college levels. The fourth-year guard, who can enter restricted free agency next summer if no deal is reached, said contract talks are in his agents’ hands. “My main priority is to get better as an individual and get better as a team and win,” Braun said, adding that team success will ensure he is “taken care of.”
Fellow 2022 draftee Peyton Watson is also eligible for an extension. Speaking on media day, the forward said he is “not stressed” about negotiations, noting that basketball enjoyment outweighs financial concerns for him. “I’m young. I’ve got a lot of time. I know that I’ll make a lot of money in this game,” Watson said.
After stops with three clubs over the previous two seasons, Bruce Brown is back in Denver and was described by teammate Aaron Gordon as “the ultimate glue guy.” Brown said he is willing to fill any role, from backup point guard to small forward, stating, “Whatever it takes to win, I’ll do it.”
Defense has dominated early camp sessions under new head coach David Adelman. Adelman said he would accept a slight dip in offensive production—Denver ranked fourth in offensive rating last year—if it yields improvement on the 21st-ranked defense. Gordon believes cracking the top 10 defensively “is going to put us in a position to win it all.”
Source: Hoops Rumors
