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The Denver Nuggets have shockingly decided to fire head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth with one week left in the 2024-25 NBA season, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
The Nuggets named lead assistant coach David Adelman interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
Malone, 53, was on the verge of finishing his 10th season in Denver, recently leading the organization to its first championship in 2023. The Nuggets are currently 47-32 and own the fourth-best record in the Western Conference. The Nuggets made the decision to move on from Malone and Booth during a meeting the organization held on Tuesday morning.
Nuggets provide statement on firing of Michael Malone
“It is with no pleasure that we announce that we have relieved Michael Malone of his head coaching duties, effective immediately. David Adelman will assume our head coaching role for the remainder of the 2024-25 season,” Josh Kroenke, Vice Chairman of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, said in the team's release.
“This decision was not made lightly and was evaluated very carefully, and we do it only with the intention of giving our group the best chance at competing for the 2025 NBA Championship and delivering another title to Denver and our fans everywhere.
“While the timing of this decision is unfortunate, as Coach Malone helped build the foundation of our now championship-level program, it is a necessary step to allow us to compete at the highest level right now.
“Championship-level standards and expectations remain in place for the current season, and as we look to the future, we look forward to building on the foundations laid by Coach Malone over his record-breaking 10-year career in Denver.
“There is no amount of gratitude that we can properly convey to his contributions since he joined our franchise in 2015. It is with our utmost respect that we would like to thank Coach Malone for the most successful decade in Nuggets history, setting the all-time wins record and helping deliver Denver our first championship.”
In 798 games as the head coach of the Nuggets, Malone recorded a 471-327 record (59.0 percent), and he was 44-36 in the playoffs. Malone is the winningest coach in franchise history despite taking over as head coach in 2015.
Nuggets release statement about firing Calvin Booth
Booth, who had been with the organization since 2017, was named Denver's general manager in 2020 by President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly, who left the organization in 2022 to hold the same position in the Minnesota Timberwolves' front office.
In October 2022, the Nuggets signed Booth to a multiyear contract extension, citing that he had been a “huge part” of the organization's success in building a championship-caliber roster.
In his time as general manager, Booth was responsible for negotiating the contract extensions for Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Aaron Gordon after the Nuggets acquired him from the Orlando Magic in 2021.
“I want to thank Calvin Booth for leading our front office for the past three years and, most importantly, for helping put the final pieces in place for the roster that delivered Denver and our fans their first NBA Championship,” Kroenke continued.
“Calvin’s knowledge of the game, his passion for scouting, and his long history as a player and executive in the NBA helped lift our organization to new heights, which we will continue moving forward.
“We are grateful to Calvin for his eight years with the Nuggets and know his place in Nuggets history as our first championship-winning GM will be honored for years to come.”
Reactions to Nuggets firing Michael Malone, Calvin Booth
This decision to clean house on Malone and Booth comes as a shock around the league. The Nuggets have just three games left on their schedule this season and are in position to contend for another championship with Jokic playing at an MVP level, Malone was the fourth-longest tenured coach in the league.
Only Gregg Popovich (San Antonio Spurs), Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat), and Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors) have been with their respective franchises longer.
Much like how the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade in February sent shockwaves through the NBA, this decision in Denver also has league personnel in disbelief and wondering about their futures.
“If (Michael) Malone is gone, then nobody is safe anymore,” one anonymous NBA assistant coach told ClutchPoints in a text message minutes after the Nuggets' decision was announced.
Since the All-Star break, the Nuggets have posted an 11-13 record with Jokic, Murray, and others dealing with multiple injuries. While struggles existed in Denver with Malone, this team has won at least 40 games each of the last nine seasons, including 57 wins during the 2023-24 season, the third-most in franchise history.
The Nuggets currently lead the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Memphis Grizzlies by a half-game for the 4-seed in the Western Conference standings with three games remaining. After losing four straight games, Denver is in danger of falling into the play-in tournament.
Their first game with Adelman serving as the head coach will be on the road Wednesday night against the Sacramento Kings.
