Denver’s title plan centers on Jokic, but the front office is weighing a five-year, roughly $140 million extension for Christian Braun after a breakout season to keep the core intact amid a high-salary roster.

Braun posted 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals on a blistering 66.5% true shooting, with 38.4% from three, highlighting his rise as a two-way contributor. The discussion sits alongside Dyson Daniels’ defensive profile and cap dynamics illustrated by Seth Curry’s Warriors shift, signaling how Denver threads extension value with market realities.

Denver enters 2025-26 with Jokic, Murray and Gordon as its core while reshaping the roster around shooting and depth. Cameron Johnson slots in on the wing, Porter Jr. exits the wing rotation, and veterans Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valanciunas deepen the rotation. Christian Braun projects into a pivotal, no-excuses year as the team aims for another deep playoff run with a more balanced lineup and improved defense.

Pippen argues basketball was a bruising, hand-check era in the 80s and 90s, and Jokic operates in a different, spread-out, positionless game. Jokic’s vision shines as Denver’s offense centers on him alongside Murray, Gordon and Braun, a modern attack built for pace and spacing. Offseason moves—Porter Jr. to Nets for Cameron Johnson; Saric traded for Valanciunas; Brown and Hardaway Jr. re-signed—expand shooting and depth behind Jokic, signaling continued fantasy upside amid roster tweaks.