Christian Braun, right, is congratulated by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being selected 21st overall by the Denver Nuggets in the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June 23, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Former Kansas guard Christian Braun’s decision to leave the Jayhawks after his junior season paid off Thursday when he was selected by the Denver Nuggets with the 21st pick in the NBA Draft.

He joins former teammate Ochai Agbaji in beginning a pro career as Agbaji was chosen by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the 14th pick.

It is the first time Kansas has had two players selected in the NBA Draft since 2018, when Devonte’ Graham and Svi Mykhailiuk were chosen 34th and 47th, respectively. The last time the Jayhawks had two players chosen in the first round was in 2014, when Andrew Wiggins went to the Cavaliers with the No. 1 pick (though was traded to the Timberwolves before his rookie season began) and Joel Embiid was chosen by the Philadelphia 76ers at No. 3.

Agbaji and Braun are the 26th and 27th players drafted who played for coach Bill Self at Kansas and the 86th and 87th players drafted by an NBA team from the university.

Braun’s draft range was more uncertain than Agbaji’s as analysts projected he would be selected in the late first round or early second round. The Nuggets went 48-34 last season and reached the playoffs.

The Nuggets last drafted a player out of Kansas in 1998, when they selected Raef LaFrentz with the No. 3 pick.

Braun, a junior last season, was a second-team all-Big 12 player who averaged 14.1 points and 6.5 rebounds in 34.4 minutes per game. He finished second in the Big 12 second with a 49.5 field goal percentage and made 38.6% of his 3-pointers.

The unanimous Big 12 player of the year last season, Agbaji led the conference with 18.8 points per game while averaging 5.1 rebounds and shooting 47.5%, including 40.9% from 3-point range, in 35.1 minutes per game.

He left Kansas ranked 15th in school history with 1,652 points, fourth with 250 3-pointers made and ninth with 3,978 minutes played.

Teammates Remy Martin, David McCormack and Mitch Lightfoot are unlikely to be drafted even though they are eligible.