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On Tuesday, the Denver Nuggets shockingly fired head coach Michael Malone just over a week before the NBA playoffs begin, per Shams Charania of ESPN. The Nuggets have been on a cold streak of late, losers of four straight games, but still few could have imagined the team firing the coach who helped them win an NBA championship less than two years ago.
That said, it likely won't be long until Malone receives interest from many teams on the head-coaching market. Here are four teams who should express their interest to Malone's camp right away.
Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies also recently made a shocking coaching decision of their own by firing Taylor Jenkins with just weeks left in the regular season. The Grizzlies are similar to the Nuggets in that they were a Western Conference hopeful this year who has somewhat underachieved up to this point in the season but still have plenty of talent, both young and veteran.
Malone could potentially help elevate the Grizzlies above the cycle of early playoff exits they've endured in the last few years and appear destined for this postseason.
However, fans should probably wait to get their hopes up on this front until more information is revealed about what led to Jenkins' dismissal and whether any of the same concerns would apply to Malone.
Phoenix Suns
Mike Budenholzer currently coaches the Phoenix Suns, but that could change quickly if the team misses out on the play-in tournament, which appears likely at the current juncture.
The Suns very well may move on from Kevin Durant this offseason, but that doesn't mean they'll completely throw in the towel and embrace a rebuild. Perhaps the Suns surrounding Devin Booker with several strong three-and-D role players could be a formula for success in Phoenix in the same way it worked for the Thunder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Michael Malone certainly has experience coaching talented guards like the Nuggets' Jamal Murray.
Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks have underachieved significantly under Doc Rivers since hiring him midway through last season and appear poised for another early playoff exit this spring.
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The Giannis Antetokounmpo clock is officially ticking, and the pressure is on for the front office to make as many moves as possible to bolster their chances of championship contention.
Enter Malone, who has plenty of experience working with a generationally talented big man in Nikola Jokic and also knows a thing or two about navigating a pick-and-roll duo like the one between Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.
A change of scenery to the Eastern Conference might also be a welcome adjustment for Malone after spending his whole career in the gauntlet of the Western Conference.
San Antonio Spurs
Gregg Popovich has missed the majority of the season due to health issues, although he has indicated he intends to remain the head coach of the Spurs moving forward.
Still, it's not hard to envision the Spurs making plans for a future in the post-Popovich era, one that could include Michael Malone, as ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel reported.
It's easy to see the parallels between franchise big man Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic, and Spurs executives would have to be ecstatic at the thought of how Malone could help their former No. 1 overall pick develop.
In any case, it will be an interesting offseason for both Malone and the Nuggets.
