Ohm Youngmisukapr 8, 2025, 01:34 PM ET
Closeohm Youngmisuk has been covering the Giants, Jets and NFL since 2006. Before that, he covered the Net, Knicks and NBA for nearly a decade. He worked for the New York Daily News for almost 12 years before joining ESPNNewyork.com and graduating from Michigan State University.
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The Denver Nuggets have fired manager Michael Malone and said they will not extend their contract for general manager Calvin Booth on Tuesday just days before the end of the regular season.
Nuggets lead assistant David Adelman will take over as head coach for the rest of the season.
The shocking decision to fire the coach and ultimately win the championship in 2023 comes when the Nuggets (47-32) are at risk of losing four consecutive games and falling into play-in. It was an annoying stretch for Nuggets as current MVP candidate Nikola Jokic tried to bring things together while three MVP and current MVP candidate Nikola Jokic played in five straight games with a hamstring injury.
CoachTeam/Title Sainnick Nurseraptors (2018-19) Frank Vogellakers (2019-20) Mike Budenholzerbucks (2020-21) Michael Malonenggets (2022-23) – ESPN Research
Sources told ESPN that tensions have been rising between both Malone and Booth, who enters the season. Since the team won the championship, Nuggets have gone with younger role players such as Christian Brown and Payton Watson around the core of the teams of Jokic, Murray and Aaron Gordon. Veterans such as Kentavious Caldwell Pope and Bruce Brown left the previous summer during free agency and signed bigger deals elsewhere.
Malone served on the team for 10 seasons, leading the Nuggets to their sole NBA Championship. He had a record of 471-327.
“This decision was not underestimated,” Josh Kroenke, vice-president of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, said in a team’s statement. “And they were very carefully evaluated. We will do so only with the aim of giving the group the best chance to take part in the 2025 NBA Championship and win another title for Denver and the fans.
“The timing of this decision is disappointing, but as Coach Malone helped build the foundation for the current Championship-level program, it is a necessary step to ensure that they can compete at the highest level right now. Championship-level standards and expectations remain for the current season.
Booth has been promoted to the Nuggets’ GM over the past three seasons after Tim Connelly set off for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Booth’s first season was Denver’s championship season from 2022-23.
“I want to thank Calbane Booth for leading the front office for the past three years,” Kroenke said. “And most importantly to helping Denver and fans set up the final roster title that brought the first NBA championship to Denver and his fans is Calvin’s knowledge of the game, his passion for scouting, and his long history as an NBA player and executive, have helped us continue to move forward. We’ll be honored for years to come.”
Adelman, son of former head coach Rick Adelman, was Malone’s assistant for eight seasons. He interviewed the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers for a head coaching vacancy.
Jokic is now moving forward without the only head coach he’s had in his entire career.
“Since he joined the franchise in 2015, I have no gratitude for his contributions properly,” Kroenke said of Malone. “It is our utmost respect to Malone, who is the most successful in Nuggets’ history, to set the highest victory record of all time and to help Denver deliver their first championship.”
Shams Charania of ESPN contributed to this report.
