The Denver Nuggets have made a surprising move by firing head coach Michael Malone just days before the NBA playoffs. The team announced on Tuesday that assistant coach David Adelman will step in as head coach for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.
“It is with no pleasure that we announce that we have relieved Michael Malone of his head coaching duties, effective immediately,” the Nuggets said in a statement. “This decision 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.”
The announcement comes as the regular season winds down and the playoffs are less than two weeks away. The Nuggets are currently on a four-game losing streak, sitting fifth in the Western Conference with a 47-32 record—the same as the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, and Memphis Grizzlies. This tight race means any of these teams could find themselves in the first round of the playoffs or battling in the play-in tournament.
Michael Malone took charge of the Nuggets in June 2015 and led the team to 471 wins over 798 games. Under his leadership, Nikola Jokic evolved from the 41st pick in the NBA Draft to a three-time NBA Most Valuable Player, widely regarded as one of the greatest offensive centers in league history. Malone also guided the Nuggets to their first-ever NBA championship in 2023.
“There is no amount of gratitude that we can properly convey to his contributions since he joined our franchise in 2015,” team owner Josh Kroenke said. “It is with our utmost respect that we would like to thank Coach Malone for the most successful decade in Nuggets history, setting the all-time wins record and helping deliver Denver our first championship.”
In addition to Malone’s departure, the Nuggets announced they will not extend the contract of general manager Calvin Booth. Booth has faced criticism for several roster decisions, including signing Michael Porter Jr. to a five-year, $179 million contract extension.
