The Denver Nuggets relieved Head Coach Michael Malone and General Manager Calvin Booth of their duties earlier today. The NBA Championship-winning coach has been with the Nuggets organization since 2015. Booth has been with the club since 2017. Booth and Malone were instrumental in Denver winning its first NBA championship less than two years ago in 2023 when the Nuggets beat the Miami Heat in five games. Assistant Coach David Adelman is expected to take over in an interim role.
Reasons For Shocking Move Unclear At This Time
The shocking moves come in the final week of the 2025 NBA regular season. The team is 4th in the Western Conference with a 47-32 record. The Nuggets were eliminated from the playoffs in the second round in 2024. Malone, the winningest coach in Nuggets history, has made the NBA Playoffs in six straight seasons. Booth began his career with the Nuggets as assistant general manager in 2017. He was promoted in 2020.
Another NBA Head Coach Fired Weeks Before the Playoffs
Denver is not the only playoff team to fire a coach. On March 28, 2025, the Memphis Grizzlies terminated Taylor Jenkins. Malone and Jenkins are close friends and even share the same agent. At the time, Malone himself was perplexed by the move. “So, for Taylor to get fired at this late stage of the season and for them to be where they are is really shocking and odd, at the same time,” Malone remarked. “I just can’t wrap my head around it. There must be something going on that we’re all not privy to.”
Final Thoughts
What a shocking move. Things must have deteriorated in Denver until ownership could not stand Malone or Booth representing them in the playoffs. Denver will have to hope the roster can rally around Adelman quickly. The locker room must have lost complete and total confidence in Malone for this move to be necessary. It will be interesting to find out more details as news trickles out. Stay on Total Apex Sports for the latest.
