The Denver Nuggets pulled one of the biggest shockers of the season when they fired general manager Calvin Booth and head coach Michael Malone with just three games remaining in the regular season. However, all the follow-up reporting makes it clear why the Nuggets made this move when they did, with the Booth-Malone feud wearing on the franchise and Malone apparently losing the locker room for a variety of reasons.

The Athletic's Sam Amick and Tony Jones dove into the situation even more on Thursday, going in-depth on the Booth-Malone issues and how key players, including superstar Nikola Jokic, “had grown frustrated and fatigued by Malone’s fiery ways.” The report even gives a timeline of when Jokic and the rest of the locker room really started to sour on the coach.

“When it came to Malone and his level of support in the locker room, team and league sources say the bottom started to fall out in mid-March. The home loss against Washington was a new low, with the tanking Wizards scoring at will in a 126-123 win that left Jokić fuming afterward. The defense, which was eighth in the league last season and top 16 in each of the previous six seasons, had fallen to 22nd at that time (it’s currently 21st). At the time, league sources say, rival teams began to hear that Jokić’s patience was wearing thin with the sad state of affairs.”

Things only continued to get worse when Malone laid into his players after a 128-109 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers about a week after that ugly defeat against the Wizards, and the Russell Westbrook situation came to a head recently as well.

Article Continues Below
More Denver Nuggets News
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) talks to an official during a break in play against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second quarter during game seven of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center.
Shams puts all Nuggets Nikola Jokic trade speculation to bedJackson Stone ·
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) watches Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shoot free throws in the second half of game seven of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center.
Nuggets’ nightmare scenario that would lead to unthinkable Nikola Jokic tradeZachary Howell ·
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) reacts towards referee Sean Wright (4) after a play in the second quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder during game four of the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena.
Nuggets front office ‘not sure’ if Nikola Jokic will sign contract extensionPreston Byers ·
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) warms up before game seven of the second round against the Oklahoma City Thunder for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center.
Josh Kroenke bizarrely brings up Nuggets-Nikola Jokic trade scenarioBenedetto Vitale ·
Denver Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke (left) and president Josh Kroenke (right) during the championship parade after the Denver Nuggets won the 2023 NBA Finals.
Nuggets reunite with Timberwolves exec as part of front-office overhaulAlex House ·
Denver Nuggets forward Dario Saric (9) and forward Vlatko Cancar (31) on the bench in the fourth quarter against the Utah Jazz at Ball Arena.
Nuggets’ Dario Saric makes $5.4 million contract decision ahead of free agencyJackson Stone ·

What's next for Nuggets

Denver Nuggets interim head coach David Adelman points to his bench during the first quarter of the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center.
© Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

The Nuggets were on a four-game losing streak when they fired Booth and Malone, and they immediately got the fired coach bump with David Adelman against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night. Will these changes be enough to reinvigorate Jokic and Co. heading into the playoffs? This roster is still extremely flawed, but Jokic shouldn't be counted out.

And when it comes to Jokic's future, while he has lost some patience this season, there's no sign he's going to want out of Denver. These firings were the first step toward trying to pry the Nuggets' championship window back open.