Nuggets fire head coach Michael Malone and GM Calvin Booth ahead of 2025 NBA Playoffs

The Nuggets made the shocking decision to fire Mike Malone with three games left before the playoffs.

The Denver Nuggets have fired the head coach the led the franchise to its first ever NBA championship only two years ago days before the 2025 NBA Playoffs. In a stunning announcement, Michael Malone has been fired by Denver with only three games remaining in the regular season. Denver was riding a four-game losing streak at the time of the firing.

Denver has also fired general manager Calvin Booth. ESPN’s Shams Charania broke the news. The NBA is still trying to make sense of it.

David Adelman is the Nuggets’ new interim head coach.

Is firing a successful head coach just before the playoffs the latest NBA trend? Malone’s firing comes after the Memphis Grizzlies fired head coach Taylor Jenkins late last month. Malone’s firing is even more shocking considering he’s won an NBA championship with Denver.

Malone and Booth had some differences of opinion over recent years, and now both are out. Booth wanted Malone to play and develop the younger players he had drafted. Malone preferred veterans. No one could have seen this end coming so quickly after Denver’s 2023 title run.

What will Nikola Jokic think of this? The superstar big man is in the running for his fourth NBA MVP award, and his career has blossomed under Malone. Denver has been in a tailspin ever since Russell Westbrook hijacked Jokic’s 61-point triple-double in a recent loss to the Timberwolves. Westbrook has had a big role in the rotation under Malone. Will that change under a new head coach?

Denver is fighting for its life in terms of Western Conference playoff seeding. We’ll update this story as it develops.