The Kansas basketball program had two players drafted in the second round of last month’s NBA Draft. Johnny Furphy was taken 35th overall by the Indiana Pacers, while Kevin McCullar went 58th to the New York Knicks. Bill Self and his coaching staff are no strangers to sending student-athletes to the greatest league in the world.
While those two Jayhawks were the only realistic draft options, another player graduated from KU hoping to pursue a professional basketball career. Parker Braun signed an NBA Summer League deal with the Denver Nuggets and will compete on their roster this month.
Former Kansas basketball center Parker Braun joins brother on Nuggets
Braun was the Jayhawks’ backup center to Hunter Dickinson as a fifth-year senior after transferring over from Santa Clara. He averaged 2.2 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks across 34 games. He only averaged 7.5 minutes per contest in a limited
The 24-year-old is the older brother of Christian Braun, a guard who also plays for the Nuggets. Christian won a national title during his three-year career at Kansas, playing a vital role for the 2022 championship team. His sibling committed to KU one season after he finished college, but he now can play with him at the next level.
The Nuggets' Summer League games begin this Friday, July 12. They have four outings until the playoffs. Braun will look to use his rim protection and rebounding to earn him some playing time.
While his time in Lawrence did not signify that he was an NBA talent, he is receiving an opportunity from the Nuggets that he must make the most of. If he performs well, there is a chance he will receive a contract to play in the NBA G League next season.