Just days before last year’s playoffs started, Michael Malone and GM Calvin Booth were shockingly let go, a true precedent considering the Denver Nuggets were a top-four team in the loaded Western Conference, still in a real fight for the No. 2 seed.
The man who brought Denver its first-ever NBA title in 2023, when they cruised past the Miami Heat 4-1 behind the unstoppable Nikola Jokic, was suddenly out. Malone’s increasingly vocal disagreements with the front office clearly led to the split, and he recently reflected on that period.
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“I still have a bad taste in my mouth with how things ended in Denver, and I’d love to go out on my own terms. With that being said, what I’ve learned over my many years in this league is how important it is to go to work every day with people you care about, trust, respect, and who are all pulling in the same direction.”
So, when I have a chance to go back into the NBA, I just want to make sure I’m working with a group of people who are like-minded, share a common vision, and are willing to do whatever it takes to make that vision a reality,” Malone said.
Malone and Booth were never on the same page
Next season, Malone will work as an NBA analyst. At one point, he was even mentioned as a legitimate successor to Tom Thibodeau with the New York Knicks, especially since he’s from Queens. However, that never materialized, leaving him in the studio role for now.
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After the 2023 championship, Malone wanted to ride the wave of a strong starting five that had been mainly built by former GM Tim Connelly, who later left for the Minnesota Timberwolves. On the other hand, Booth came in with a philosophy of steady, sustainable growth built through young players, arguing that the goal wasn’t to win two titles and disappear, but three or four championships over a seven-year window.
On that front, Malone and Booth were never on the same page. Malone strongly trusted his veterans, and the departures of key championship pieces, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Bruce Brown and Jeff Green, proved to be the final straw.
Among those shocked by Malone’s firing was Kevin Garnett, who called Denver’s decision to fire Malone before the playoffs a massive mistake.
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“We asked the Denver fuc*ing Nuggets to go in there and do some unbelievable sh** and we asked an assistant coach to come in here and fill in for the fuc*ing niga who got them here… Denver did not have a fuc*ing chance. You’re having your best player not only having to be a player but he got to be a fuc*ing coach?” the Hall of Famer said.
Malone didn’t deserve that kind of ending
The Nuggets’ moves made it clear they were drifting on a wave of uncertainty, essentially putting everything on Jokic’s shoulders, until even he burned out in trying to win another title. Fans grew frustrated with Booth’s youth-driven vision and the team’s heavy dependence on Jokic. However, questions remain about how much of it was Booth’s philosophy versus the Kroenke family’s notorious frugal ownership blocking bigger moves.
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Denver fired a coach who had been there for 10 years, believed in Jokic when no one else did, survived brutal injuries to Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray, endured a front office that ignored many of his wishes and still delivered a championship.
At the very least, Malone didn’t deserve that kind of ending. But his perspective makes sense – he won’t take another job unless he’s on the same page with the front office.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 23, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.