In a jaw-dropping move just days before the NBA playoffs, the Denver Nuggets have fired head coach Michael Malone and announced they won’t extend general manager Calvin Booth’s contract—despite the team sitting near the top of the Western Conference standings.

The decision comes with only three games left in the regular season, a time when most playoff-bound teams are fine-tuning, not hitting the reset button. Denver, currently 47-32, is still in the hunt for home-court advantage in the first round and has already secured at least a play-in berth.

David Adelman will step in as interim head coach for the rest of the season, according to the organization.

“It is with no pleasure that we made this change,” said Josh Kroenke, vice chairman of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, the team’s ownership group. “But after careful evaluation, we believe this is the best move to give our group a chance at competing for the 2025 NBA championship and bringing another title to Denver.”

This marks the first time in NBA history that a team bound for the postseason has fired its coach with so few games left in the regular season. The closest comparison dates back to 1983, when the New Jersey Nets lost coach Larry Brown six games before the playoffs—though he left voluntarily for a college job.

Malone wasn’t just another coach—he was the architect of a decade-long transformation in Denver. Since arriving in 2015, he led the Nuggets to eight consecutive winning seasons and the team’s first-ever NBA Championship in 2023.

Under Malone:

• 471 regular-season wins, the most in franchise history.
• Seven consecutive playoff appearances (including this year’s projected entry).
• Two Western Conference Finals appearances (2020, 2023).
• A dominant 16-4 playoff run to the 2023 title.

Despite a strong season led by MVP candidate Nikola Jokić, who’s averaging a near triple-double (30 points, 12.8 rebounds, 10.2 assists), the Nuggets have dropped four straight games, including a 125-120 loss to Indiana on Sunday.

Malone shouldered the blame postgame:

“I’ll start with me… We haven’t lost four in a row in a long time. It’s easy to say ‘family’ when you’re winning. The real test is when you’re losing—can you stay together?”

Jokić, usually composed, was visibly at a loss when asked what’s wrong:

“I don’t know. Maybe we just… I don’t know, actually.”

It seems the front office decided that “maybe” wasn’t good enough.

GM Calvin Booth, who joined the franchise in 2017 and became general manager in 2020, will not have his contract renewed.

Kroenke praised Booth for helping “put the final pieces in place” for the 2023 championship squad, adding:

“Calvin’s knowledge and passion for scouting took our organization to new heights.”

The Nuggets aren’t the only playoff-bound team making late-season coaching changes. Memphis recently parted ways with coach Taylor Jenkins, making Denver the second team in two weeks to make a major move so close to the postseason.

The question now: Can a shake-up this big ignite a title run? Or will it unravel the chemistry that took Denver to the top just one year ago?

The Nuggets head to Sacramento to face the Kings on Wednesday—without their championship coach, and with everything still to prove.

Source: AP News – Nuggets fire coach Malone and won’t extend GM Booth in stunning move as postseason looms

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Orlando, Fla. — Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone didn’t hold back in his reaction to the Sacramento Kings’ decision to fire Mike Brown. Expressing his displeasure with the move, Malone criticized the team and owner Vivek Ranadive for showing “no class.”

The Kings parted ways with Brown on Friday, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Shams Charania, following a disappointing 13-18 start to the season and a 12th-place standing in the Western Conference. Brown’s firing marked a swift turn of events, given his success just a year earlier.

Malone’s Personal Connection and Reaction

Malone, who coached the Kings for two seasons, has a personal history with the organization. He was fired by Ranadive in December 2014, and Brown’s firing marked the sixth coaching change since Malone’s departure. Reflecting on the move, Malone admitted he wasn’t surprised by the decision but expressed outrage at the way it was handled.

“I’m not surprised that Mike Brown got fired because I got fired by the same person,” Malone said. “And what really pissed me off about it was the fact that they lost last night, their fifth game in a row. Tough loss. They had practiced this morning, he does his postgame media, and he’s in his car going to the airport when they called him on the phone. No class, no balls. That’s what I’ll say about that.”

Reactions from Other Coaches

Malone wasn’t alone in his condemnation. Several NBA coaches expressed their disbelief and disappointment over Brown’s dismissal.

Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle opened his pregame media session by addressing the firing, calling it “shocking.” He praised Brown’s integrity and professionalism, saying, “I view him as one of the standard bearers for integrity for our profession. I’m absolutely shocked that decision was made.”

Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley, a close friend and mentor of Brown, also shared his thoughts, acknowledging Brown’s positive impact on the Kings’ culture. “He compiled a record of 107-88 while he was there. He changed a bit of that culture,” Mosley said. “I say these things not as a fellow coach, but as a close friend. He’s been a mentor to me, and I know how good he is and how he cares.”

A Stark Contrast: From Coach of the Year to Fired

Brown’s firing comes as a surprise given his accomplishments. Just last season, he was named the unanimous NBA Coach of the Year after leading the Kings to the playoffs for the first time since 2006. Despite his success, the Kings were quick to pull the trigger after a slow start to the current season.

New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, also a two-time Coach of the Year, expressed his disappointment: “Mike’s a terrific person and a great coach. It’s unfortunate.”

Shocking Nature of the Firing

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who worked closely with Brown as his assistant, also voiced his shock. “It just seems so shocking when a guy’s the unanimous Coach of the Year a year and a half ago,” Kerr said. “When you think about where that franchise was before Mike got there… really shocking.”

The Bigger Picture: NBA Coaching Changes

Brown’s firing is part of a broader trend of coaching changes in the NBA. In 2024 alone, there have already been nine head coaching changes, bringing the total to 300 since Gregg Popovich became the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs in 1996.

Brown, who previously coached the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, and a second stint with Cleveland before joining the Kings, has had a varied coaching career but will likely land on his feet, according to Rick Carlisle. “Mike’s a great man and a great basketball man. Really one of the pillars of our profession,” Carlisle said. “It’s just hard to believe that this decision was made. But teams have the right to do things like this, obviously.”

Conclusion

While Brown’s firing is part of the unpredictable nature of the NBA coaching profession, the swift and impersonal nature of the decision has left many in the basketball world questioning the Kings’ approach. Despite the challenges, Brown’s character and coaching acumen ensure that he will continue to have a lasting impact on the game and the people who know him.

Source

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