Nuggets’ Bruce Brown will decline option and become a free agent

In a move that was widely expected, Nuggets guard Bruce Brown declined his $6.8 million player option on Wednesday, league sources confirmed to The Denver Post. As a result, Brown, one of the key pieces of the Nuggets’ championship run, will be a free agent.

Though the Nuggets can’t offer as much as other teams, Denver intends to offer him the maximum amount it can — $7.8 million for next season, another league source said. It’s possible Brown signs a two-year deal with a second-year option that allows the Nuggets to give him a more lucrative extension next summer.

In the aftermath of the Nuggets’ title run, Brown told The Post he “wanted to stay” in Denver and that money wasn’t everything.

If he stays, Brown would incur some level of risk for deferring what could be a significant payday until next summer. Brown was the Nuggets’ most reliable player off the bench and routinely slotted into the starting lineup when injuries arose.

At the championship parade, Brown teased the crowd by asking if he should return. Nuggets coach Michael Malone was adamant that Brown wasn’t going anywhere.