The Nuggets’ toughest offseason question: Cam Johnson or Christian Braun?

With Peyton Watson's next contract looming, Denver may have to move one of its key players; the morning show weighed in on the decision

BY JOEY FREEBURG

Jun 1, 2026, 11:06 AM

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Every offseason in the NBA eventually comes down to a series of difficult choices, as roster construction is a zero-sum exercise. The Denver Nuggets are about to learn that lesson again.

The contract situation surrounding Peyton Watson has the front office staring at a numbers problem that won’t solve itself. The most-realistic solution involves parting with a player already on the roster.

On a Monday edition of “Stokley and Evans, with Mark Schlereth” on 104.3 The Fan, the hosts narrowed the conversation down to the two names that have emerged as the most likely candidates to be moved. Mike Evans framed the question directly.

“Who would you rather keep: Cameron Johnson or Christian Braun?” he asked.

It’s the kind of question that has no easy answer, because both players bring genuine value to Denver’s rotation. Johnson is the established veteran shooter, the kind of floor spacer who creates room for Nikola Jokic to operate. Braun is the younger, ascending wing who has earned more responsibility with each passing season and represents a meaningful piece of the Nuggets’ long-term core.

Brandon Stokley walked through the financial side of the equation first.

“So you probably could get more for Cam Johnson. And the reason is because he’s on an expiring contract,” Stokley said.

Expiring contracts carry significant trade value across the league because they offer acquiring teams future flexibility. The ability to either re-sign the player at their preferred number or let the money come off the books entirely. From a pure asset-management standpoint, Johnson is the more marketable piece.

But Stokley’s preference wasn’t dictated by trade value. It was dictated by basketball fit.

“I think I probably would rather keep Cam Johnson, though,” he said.

The reasoning came down to one specific area of the game, the area that matters most when you are trying to build a roster around the best passing big man in the league.

“Because of his outside shooting; it feels like it’s just so much better than Christian Braun’s,” Stokley said.

Johnson’s three-point shooting is among the most reliable in the league at times. And that skill is uniquely valuable next to Jokic, whose offensive brilliance is amplified by shooters who can punish defenses for collapsing into the paint. Braun has improved in that area, but the gap between the two remains real.

The stat sheet says it all. This past season, Johnson shot 43.0% from beyond the arc. Braun knocked down just 30.1% of his threes.

The Nuggets are about to make a decision that doesn’t have a clean answer. Keep Johnson, and you preserve the shooting that fits perfectly alongside Jokic. Keep Braun, and you hold onto the younger, ascending guard with room to grow. There is no version of this offseason where Denver walks away without losing something it would rather keep.

Stokley made his choice. Now, the front office has to make theirs.