Denver Nuggets fans were trying to digest the team's four-game losing streak that came at the worst possible time when ESPN's Shams Charania posted his second-most shocking tweet of the season. Nothing could've topped the Luka Doncic trade to the Lakers, but the Kroenke family tried.
Charania reported that the Nuggets fired head coach Michael Malone with three games left to play in the regular season. Many suspected that GM Calvin Booth was behind the decision, but everyone learned shortly after the Malone news that Booth was on his way out too.
Full clean out: The Denver Nuggets are also firing general manager Calvin Booth, sources tell ESPN. Michael Malone and Booth both out today. pic.twitter.com/FvqOAFyOKy
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 8, 2025
Josh Kroenke said in an interview with Altitude TV's Vic Lombardi that he and his father, Stan, decided in recent days to move on from Malone and Booth during the offseason. They then pivoted to wanting the Nuggets to get the most out of the rest of the season as possible, which, in their mind, was relieving the head coach and GM of their duties before the offseason.
Hear from Josh Kroenke, Vice Chairman of KSE, regarding today’s news. pic.twitter.com/n1J5QDGttT
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 8, 2025
Kroenke hopes the changes will give the team the push it needs to finish the season strong. The Nuggets are in Sacramento to take on the Kings on Wednesday in a nationally-televised game on ESPN. Jamal Murray, who has missed the past five games with a hamstring injury, is doubtful.
It would've been hard enough for Denver to make a deep playoff run without Murray (or a not-close-to-100-percent Murray), and firing Malone could be the final nail in the coffin for the Nuggets' playoff hopes.
Will the Malone firing be too much for the Nuggets to overcome?
Charania reported on Tuesday that players were "surprised" when they were informed that Malone would no longer be their coach.
The Athletic reported that Nikola Jokic had been "frustrated with the team's defensive commitment and performance this season." The Denver Post reported that the superstar didn't go to ownership asking for a coaching change but was notified beforehand that Malone would be fired. How Jokic feels about the decision is still unclear, but he should speak to the media tonight.
David Adelman will serve as the interim head coach as the Nuggets begin their search for a new GM. It's an unusual position for a No. 4 seed in the conference to be in, with the postseason starting next week. The lowest Denver can fall to is the No. 8 seed, meaning the team would have to win one of a max of two Play-In games to advance to the first round of the playoffs.
There wasn't much confidence in the Nuggets before Malone and Booth were fired -- and the moves haven't instilled optimism in the fanbase. One thing is clear, and it's that Denver is headed toward an offseason full of change. The top priority is maximizing Jokic's prime, which the front office and ownership have failed to do.
It hurts to say, but this could be the end of the Nuggets organization as fans know it. At least that's how it currently feels. Maybe firing Malone is the breath of life Denver needed, but the timing severely complicates the matter. It was a last-ditch effort to "save" the Nuggets.
The Kroenke family already isn't well-liked by Denver fans for good reason, so it's hard to trust their vision. All fans can do is sit back and watch everything unfold.