As the NBA regular season nears its conclusion, chaos continues to be the league’s only constant. Luka Dončić’s shocking trade to the Los Angeles Lakers rocked the basketball world, and now the Denver Nuggets have delivered another seismic jolt.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Denver Nuggets announced they have dismissed head coach Michael Malone with only four games remaining in the regular season. It’s a move that, like the Dončić blockbuster trade, could have ripple effects for years to come across the league.
The Denver Nuggets had poor timing
While internal tension between Malone and General Manager Calvin Booth had been simmering for months, the decision to part ways with both at this juncture is baffling. Booth, whose contract was set to expire this offseason, was already seen as a likely departure given the franchise’s history of contentious negotiations with general managers — Tim Connelly’s 2022 exit being the most notable example.
But removing Malone — the winningest head coach in franchise history, the architect of the team’s 2023 championship, and the man behind Denver’s rise to perennial contender—is where the real damage lies.
Despite a recent slump (losing six of their last ten), the Nuggets are still sitting in the fourth seed and are widely viewed as the most legitimate threat to unseat top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder . The timing of the move is nothing short of head-scratching, especially with a playoff run imminent.
Beyond the questionable timing, the dismissal also signals a fundamental misjudgment of Malone’s value. Nikola Jokić is a generational talent, but it was Malone who believed in him before the rest of the league did, opting to start Jokić over former first-round pick Jusuf Nurkić and building an offensive system around the Serbian star’s unique skill set. The result? Three MVPs and a championship banner.
Malone didn’t just coach this team — he defined its culture. He brought toughness, accountability, and continuity to a franchise that desperately needed all three. Ownership’s belief that there’s a better coach for this roster, with Jokić still in his prime, is a massive gamble that could backfire if the next hire fails to meet the lofty expectations now attached to this core.
What’s next for Mike Malone — and for the Denver Nuggets?
The message from ownership is clear: they like the roster but not the people leading it. That’s an aggressive bet , especially in the Western Conference, where margins are razor thin and chemistry often defines playoff success.
As for Malone, he immediately becomes the top coaching candidate on the market. Expect multiple teams, especially those on the brink of contention, to pursue him this off-season. In the meantime, all eyes are on Denver’s next move. Firing your coach and GM in a day sends shockwaves, but whether it brings another title or drives the franchise into uncertainty remains to be seen.