DENVER — Denver Nuggets guard Bruce Brown is declining his player option and will become a free agent, according to Sham Charania of The Athletic.
An important member of the Nuggets' championship season, Brown could still return to the Nuggets, but would likely get more money elsewhere in the NBA.
Brown, 26, signed a two-year deal with the Nuggets during free agency in July 2022. Brown is declining a $6.8 million player option for the 2023-24 season.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone has not been shy about the fact he wants Brown to stay with the team. During the championship rally Thursday, he told fans under no uncertain terms that Brown would be back.
"Is Brucey B going anywhere?" Malone asked the crowd. "Hell no, hell no."
Brown also teased fans, taking the podium to ask if he should return.
"I got a question for ya'll," Brown said. "One question, one question, one question. One more year?"
While there has been a lot of hinting and it's pretty clear both sides want Brown to stay in Denver, nothing is official yet. Nuggets fans will have to wait to see if they'll get that one more year of play out of Brown.
Brown was instrumental in the Nuggets' 108-95 win over the Miami Heat in Game 4. He scored 21 points off the bench after Nikola Jokic exited early in the fourth quarter because of foul trouble.
Brown shot 4 of 5 from the field and scored 11 points in the fourth quarter alone, playing a major role in fending off the Heat without Jokic on the floor for several minutes.
Brown's final bucket of the night was a step-back three that put the Nuggets up 108-91 with 1:21 left in the game. Jokic admitted he wasn't thrilled when the shot first went up.
"He did a step-back three," Jokic said. "I almost — I wanted to punch him, but when he made it, I was so happy."
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