Nuggets fire coach Malone, won't retain GM Booth
The Denver Nuggets announced Tuesday that they fired head coach Michael Malone and won't be extending general manager Calvin Booth's contract after the season.
Assistant coach David Adelman will take over the Nuggets' bench on an interim basis.
The franchise was expected to move on from either Malone or Booth after this season due to a "cold war" between the two, sources told ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk.
"This decision (to relieve Malone) was not made lightly and was evaluated very carefully, and we do it only with the intention of giving our group the best chance at competing for the 2025 NBA championship and delivering another title to Denver and our fans everywhere," Josh Kroenke, vice chairman of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment said in a statement.
Malone guided the Nuggets to their only championship title in 2023 and is the franchise's winningest coach, collecting 471 victories since taking the helm in 2015.
"While the timing of this decision is unfortunate, as Coach Malone helped build the foundation of our now championship level program, it is a necessary step to allow us to compete at the highest level right now," Kroenke added. "Championship-level standards and expectations remain in place for the current season, and as we look to the future, we look forward to building on the foundations laid by Coach Malone over his record-breaking 10-year career in Denver."
Malone's dismissal is tied for the latest coaching change in a season in NBA history, matching Hubie Brown's departure from the Atlanta Hawks in 1980-81, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
The Memphis Grizzlies also parted ways with head coach Taylor Jenkins late this season, firing him at the end of March.
Malone previously served as head coach of the Sacramento Kings. He was fired 24 games into the 2014-15 season, paving the way for him to join Denver the following offseason.
The Nuggets promoted Booth to general manager in 2020 after he joined the club as an assistant GM in 2017.
"We are grateful to Calvin for his eight years with the Nuggets and know his place in Nuggets history as our first championship-winning GM will be honored for years to come," Kroenke said.
Denver ranks fourth in the Western Conference with a 47-32 record. The Nuggets are on a four-game losing streak and are only half a game out of the play-in tournament. The team has three contests remaining against the Grizzlies, Kings, and Houston Rockets.