The Denver Nuggets fired manager Michael Malone and announced on Tuesday that they would not extend the contract for general manager Calvin Booth, shocking the NBA world with just six days left in the regular season. Nuggets have only been in the NBA Championship for just two years and are now fourth in the Western Conference.
However, after a four-game winning streak, Denver is now slightly ahead of the fifth-linked Logjam half-game of the four teams. ESPN’s Basketball Power Index has a 46.9% chance of falling into a play-in tournament for the Nuggets.
He was caught on a home date with the Memphis Grizzlies on a closing schedule that includes road games with the Sacramento Kings and the Houston Rockets. He recently made an incredible coaching change and fired Taylor Jenkins on March 28th.
Our NBA insiders answer big questions about these moves, including Denver’s playoff hopes and the meaning of the future of three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.
The nuggets travelling from the booth for six days in the season with Malone is _____.
Ohm Youngmisuk: It’s shocking, but not completely blind. Change was probably inevitable, but the timing was a huge surprise. Tensions had been brewing between Malone and the booth for quite some time, so sources described it as the “cold war.” Denver lost four straights, only 11-13 since the All-Star break. Players like Jokic have expressed dissatisfaction with the sidelines. Sources said the atmosphere was low. And they believed that ownership had come to move from both men a few days before the end of the regular season.
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Bobby Marks: Amazing. Especially after the trade at Luka Donsic in February, I vowed to myself that I would never use that word. But here it is two months later. Yes, there was a rumble that there was a change in Denver, but it wasn’t six days before the regular season ended.
Michael C. Wright: No different from Memphis, who fires Jenkins, the most winning coach in franchise history. Denver has only two seasons removed from the championship, the only in franchise history. Do you reduce your chances for the Nuggets’ second title by firing the coach you took to the summit? This isn’t a popular move within Denver’s locker rooms.
Chris Herring: Considering the Nuggets won it all just two years ago, it’s even more surprising than the decision to fire Jenkins of Memphis. Jamal Murray also played in Denver’s last five games, but explained to some extent the current skid. Apparently that’s not the case. It’s an incredible move to fire a coach with more wins than anyone else over the past five seasons. You can do that in the final week of the season.
Zach Kram: A sign of how much the franchise has failed its post-championship competition window. The team lost key contributors without replacing them, suffered from behind the scenes’ contests, and made the unprecedented decision to blow up the candidate’s front office and coaching staff later in the season. As long as Jokic is in his prime, the nuggets are dangerous. But what appeared to be a potential dynasty in 2023 is on fire two years later.
How will this change Denver’s postseason forecast?
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1:08
Shams: Nuggets travelling from Malone, the booth is “stunning”
Shams Charania explains why the ownership of the Nuggets went further from Director Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth.
KRAM: Due to the team’s 20th place defense (worst for a team with a winning record) and Murray’s uncertain return, I was already pessimistic about the Nuggets’ playoff chances. Now it’s even harder to imagine a deep run from the 2023 champion.
Marks: A month ago I was asked which team could compete with Oklahoma City. The answer was Denver. Before Denver cleaned the house this morning, I didn’t think they could get out of the first round. Their recent string of games and their inability to stop defensively is a major concern, even if the Nuggets were still holding Malone.
Herring: Perhaps these moves give sparks, but it’s hard to think of this change that will promote Denver later in the game. If anything, I feel less confident about running from Jokic and Nuggets.
Wright: This team certainly doesn’t help. The team still has shots to secure a home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Murray has been out of the box for a long time due to proper hamstring issues, so his availability to start the postseason is at issue. The expectations were no longer high for the Nuggets. Malone’s firing will further reduce the team’s prospects as it strips them of continuity.
Youngmisuk: Denver is fighting to get away from play-in. Nuggets are desperately needed for Murray to return to health after sitting in five straight games due to a hamstring injury. If Murray is healthy when the postseason begins, Nuggets can beat the Jokic guy who is playing the best basketball of his career. He needs more help. Nuggets hopes interim coach David Adelman will get his team out of a slump, but a healthy Murray is essential for Jokic and Nugget to have another deep run.
More shocking firing: Malone or Jenkins?
Herring: Malone. He won the franchise’s lonely title just two years ago, and has won more than anyone in the last five years. His records speak for itself. Both shots are Shockers and we hope to learn much more in the next few days. But even with that information, I don’t know if Malone, a small amount of jokes, has something static, will make this decision more understandable. It seems to be too unstable and there is little time left.
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KRAM: Malone. The Grizzlies replaced Jenkins’ five assistants last summer, so writing has been on the Memphis walls for a while. The main surprise was timing, not the firing itself. However, Malone was a very successful mainstay in Denver, and it appears likely that he will remain coached Jokic for years to come.
Wright: Malone, because of what appears to be a lack of understanding from ownership of how the franchise has reached this point. Denver wants to win now, but there is little flexibility and wealth to make such a noble goal realistic. It is worth pondering whether this is just the beginning of a larger decomposition.
Youngmisuk: Malone, especially when they compete for the top four seeds simply because the team doesn’t let go of their championship coaches later in the season. The move gives Denver the opportunity to see what Adelman can do. And with more openings expected this summer, Denver is watching the 43-year-old coach who has been on the radar in the past for his head coaching position.
Mark: Can you say both? I was part of the Nets front office, which fired Byron Scott in 2004 after making two straight NBA Finals appearances. But it was 41 games to the next season. Both Jenkins and Malone have been coaching playoff teams, having endured injuries to star players (Ja Morant, Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic) since the All-Star break. Plus, for Malone, winning the championship should mean something for job safety.
What does this mean for Jokic’s future in Denver?
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2:49
What does it mean to Nikola Djokic to leave the booth, what does it mean to leave the booth?
Brian Windhorst fires Michael Malone and reports on the NBA’s response to the nuggets moving out of GM Calvin Booth and what that means for Nicola Djokic.
Marks: After Malone was fired, one idea came to mind. I hope that the ownership of the Nuggets was done by Jokic. The three-time MVP still has a three-year contract left (there are player options from 2027-28), but that doesn’t mean anything if the players are unhappy. A real indication that the future holds in Denver is what will happen once the NBA Finals are over, if Jokic is eligible to sign a three-year $212 million extension.
Herring: This is my question. Has anything been going on behind the scenes between Malone and Jokic? Taking this step with Malone, especially in the final week of a season that hasn’t been lost even remotely, is a massive gamble, unless Jokic knows that it’s okay. Jokic is one of the least dramatic stars in the sport, but this is a very unusual move involving a title-winning coach.
Wright: It would be interesting to know given that he is entitled to sign that three-year extension soon. Jokic entered the league as head coach along with Malone and decided to carry out Denver’s offense through Star Big Man. Although Jokic doesn’t reveal much about his personal life, loyalty appears to be important to him. Ownership was shown nothing in this latest move.
KRAM: Probably nothing. Because Jokic never looked like the kind of player who demands a deal. However, Malone is now a Nuggets coach for Jokic’s entire career, and is now in unknown territory for the best players in the NBA.
Youngmisuk: Jokic doesn’t go anywhere. Malone is the only coach to the NBA’s Jokic head coach, but the Nuggets made this move in hopes of maximizing the rest of the season. Denver’s ownership still believes the Nuggets can run this postseason, and Adelman is the architect of the team’s offensive. The Nuggets do everything they can to make things better around Jokic.
In addition to swapping booths and Malone, what should the Nuggets offseason priorities be to return to championship status?
Light: Defense needs to be prioritized, and clubs can help themselves by upgrading the bench. However, it is unclear how the nuggets will reach with minimal contracts. This is necessary as it is expected to become a luxurious tax team for the fourth year in a row and suffer a massive repeat tax penalty.
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Marks: Denver has the highest paying salary (67% of team caps next season are tied up with Jokic, Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon), so there’s only the $5.6 million Midlevel exception to use at the free agency. In the transaction, the nugget is expected to be on the second apron, so it is not permitted to regain its salary. Nuggets are also limited to what draft picks can trade. In 2032 there will be a first round and a second rounder who can send trade.
KRAM: Every time Jokic leaves the court, we build a bench that does not collapse. Nuggets have a very strong starting lineup, but have minimal depth behind the top five, especially after Christian Brown’s successful promotion to the starting group. Maybe youth like Payton Watson and Julian Stroser will continue to develop. However, the Nuggets will also need to make a better free agent decision after whining for Dario Saric and Reggie Jackson while losing championship contributors Bruce Brown and Jeff Green. Denver’s net rating is plus 9.9 for championship competitor mark Jokic, but the minus 8.7 without him is the same as the Pelican’s 28th net rating.
Herring: Much better defense that doesn’t require offense to be as efficient as most of the season. And Denver clearly needs better bench play, as Murray and Porter can’t float the reserve unit when Jokic is off the court. Ranked fifth in a 3-point percentage, the nuggets that follow in a 3-point attempt require much more volume from long distances.
Youngmisuk: The Nuggets need to surround Jokic with the best possible player, whether it’s a better second unit or a new coaching voice from the sidelines. Maximizing the championship window around Jokic must be a priority. Nothing else matters.
