Denver exercises third-year option on former Gonzaga wing Julian Strawther’s contract

The Denver Nuggets exercised the team’s third-year option on former Gonzaga standout Julian Strawther’s rookie contract.

The 6-foot-7 wing will earn $2.55 million this season and is slotted for nearly $2.7 million in 2025-26. The team holds a club option following Strawther’s third season.

Strawther, the 29th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, averaged 4.5 points, 1.2 rebounds and 10.9 minutes in 50 appearances as a rookie last season. He averaged 2.3 points and 5.3 minutes in three playoff games. The Nuggets, NBA champions in 2023, fell in seven games to Minnesota in the Western Conference semifinals.

Denver also exercised fourth-year options on 6-6 guard Christian Braun and 6-7 guard Peyton Watson. Strawther, Braun and Watson could be in line for bigger roles this season as the Nuggets replace starter Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who signed with Orlando in free agency.

Strawther put up an NBA Summer League-leading 28.5 points and connected on 40.9% beyond the 3-point line in two games in his hometown of Las Vegas before Denver opted to shut him down.

He averaged 14 points in 26 minutes in Denver’s first two preseason games. He’s only played 16 minutes in the next three games while scoring seven points.

Strawther earned first-team All-West Coast Conference honors in 2023 as a junior after posting career highs in points (15.2), rebounds (6.2) and 3-point percentage (40.8). He poured in a career-best 40 points against Portland.

He averaged 10.9 points in 94 career games and had clutch 3-pointers late in victories over BYU and UCLA in his junior year.