Basketball

Why Nuggets’ Late-Season Firings of Michael Malone and Calvin Booth are Misguided

Published: Apr 9, 2025, 6:19 AM
1 min read
Updated: Jul 24, 2025, 11:53 AM
Fact checked by:
Sergey Demidov
Michael Malone

Michael Malone (Photo by Tyler McFarland/Clarkson Creative/Getty Images)

Every week, Mark Medina shares his thoughts and insights on the latest NBA topics for RG. In this installment, he gives his take on the Denver Nuggets firing coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth in the final week of the regular season.

LA Clippers coach Tyronn Lue shook his head and sighed with a hint of exasperation.

Unlike in past seasons, the reasons had nothing to do with Kawhi Leonard’s tenuous health or inconsistent play. The reasons had to do with the NBA’s increasing volatility in its head-coaching ranks.

“The criteria for getting hired/fired,” Lue said. “I don’t know what it is anymore.”

Unconventional Timing Raises Eyebrows

That’s partly because of a recent trend that defies the conventional way organizations manage head-coaching and even front-office changes. In the past two weeks, the Memphis Grizzlies (Taylor Jenkins) and Denver Nuggets (Michael Malone) fired their head coach leading into the playoffs despite their respective teams already securing a post-season berth. On Tuesday, the Nuggets also fired their general manager (Calvin Booth), which doesn’t follow an organization’s conventional route with establishing the franchise’s fall guy. Typically, the franchise casts blame on either the general manager or the coach, not both.

It doesn’t require much expertise to question why the Nuggets would fire Malone less than two years after coaching the team to its first NBA championship in franchise history. Or to wonder why Denver would fire Booth two years after being considered for the NBA’s Executive of the Year award. Or why they would make either change less than two weeks before the NBA playoffs start.

The Nuggets have struggled recently because they have an injured Jamal Murray and unproven young players. They remain a viable playoff contender because they have an MVP candidate (Nikola Jokić) and quality complementary players (Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon). Regardless of the tension that Malone and Booth had over how both handled their roster, the team’s recent issues point more to outside circumstances. By making such a late-season coaching change with promoting their lead assistant (David Adelman), the Nuggets are more likely going to experience post-season hiccups than a playoff spark.

Ownership at the Heart of the Dysfunction

Dig deeper into the dynamics, and Denver’s decisions prove even more puzzling. The Nuggets are essentially blaming Booth for prioritizing younger players over veterans, despite the Kroenke family’s push to trim costs amid the NBA’s increasingly stringent roster-construction rules for teams spending above the second apron. The Nuggets are essentially blaming Malone for not elevating a flawed roster that Booth constructed.

Of course, an owner can’t and won’t ever fire themselves. They have every right to make whatever decisions they want. The NBA also deserves criticism for imposing legislation that hurts both large and small market teams’ ability to retain talent, all under the guise of maximizing competitive balance.

Even when considering all of those factors, the Nuggets’ direction still doesn’t make any sense.

The Nuggets don’t deserve criticism for trying to cut costs since the NBA’s rules provide just as much roster-construction limitations as it does with luxury taxes. But Denver shouldn’t blame Booth for struggling to find the right amount of young players that could offset its departing veterans from their NBA title team, including Bruce Brown, Jeff Green and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The Nuggets shouldn’t blame Malone for not establishing the same consistency displayed in the 2022–23 championship season.

Failures in Collaboration and Communication

That doesn’t mean Booth and Malone are above reproach. Booth has more misfires (DaRon Holmes II, Hunter Tyson, Jalen Pickett, Zeke Nnaji, Bones Hyland) than hits (Christian Braun, Peyton Watson, Julian Strawther, Justin Holiday). Malone has often put more trust in veterans past their prime (Russell Westbrook, DeAndre Jordan) than staying patient with a young player’s successes and failures.

It surely doesn’t help dynamics that Booth became increasingly frustrated with stalled extension talks and that Malone became increasingly frustrated with Booth’s roster moves. Had both parties collaborated together, perhaps they could have thrived through better circumstances.

Consider Lue’s admission that he has weathered five years of overlapping injuries and roster changes because of his strong relationship with the Clippers’ owner (Steve Ballmer) and vice president of basketball operations (Laurence Frank).

“That goes a long way,” Lue said. “That still doesn’t mean they won’t make the right decisions. But just having that constant dialogue and understanding what each side wants and what they need and just having that relationship is really good. So if I can say anything, I would say [it’s] important building that relationship with the front office, with the owner and just having that respect back and forth.”

When ownership doesn’t allow a team to keep its championship roster for reasons both within and beyond their control, they need to take ownership with mitigating the possible shortcomings. Perhaps Booth doesn’t take as much offense toward Malone’s distrust of the young players he acquired if the Nuggets simply granted Booth an extension. Perhaps Malone stays more patient with his flawed roster if ownership displays the same patience to him.

Instead, the Nuggets are the latest NBA team to make late-season changes that will create more problems than solve them.

NBA Reporter
Mark Medina is a veteran NBA reporter who has covered six NBA Finals, Kobe Bryant’s final five seasons and the Warriors’ dynasty years. He was one of the few journalists embedded in the 2020 NBA bubble, reporting on both the games and league-wide activism. Over the years, he’s interviewed legends like Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Known for his in-depth features and analysis, Mark brings a thoughtful lens to the league’s biggest moments and personalities.
Interests:
NBA
Blogger
Podcasts
Radio Host

NBA Writers

Spencer Davies
Spencer Davies
NBA Reporter

Spencer Davies is a seasoned sports journalist based in Cleveland, Ohio, with over a decade of diverse experience. His career has spanned roles such as managing editor, senior writer, freelance video correspondent, social media manager, digital production assistant, sports radio anchor, and producer.

Currently, Spencer is an on-camera talent for Cleveland Cavaliers SI, hosting the weekly podcast Courtside with Cavs alongside Spencer German. He also contributed to the Emmy-nominated Wired to Win series for CloseUp360, which highlighted a HOLO Footwear partnership with Isaac Okoro.

In addition, Spencer creates longform NBA Draft content and grassroots features for Babcock Hoops, a site run by former NBA agent Matt Babcock. He also works as a digital production assistant for the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show.

Passionate about video content, Spencer has produced multiple viral clips featuring Cavaliers locker room moments and interviews, sharing them across X/Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

Known for his conversational and engaging style, he builds strong relationships in the basketball world at local, national, and global levels. His network stretches worldwide—from North America to Europe, Africa, Australia, and the Philippines, where his grandmother is from.

Some standout moments in his career include attending Dwyane Wade’s Stance Spades Tournament during All-Star Weekend in Charlotte, competing in the Metro by T-Mobile HotSpot and Knockout contest with Collin Sexton and Tacko Fall at All-Star Weekend in Chicago, and covering numerous Las Vegas Summer League events.

A true hoop enthusiast, Spencer is passionate about player development and occasionally hits the gym to shoot and rebound, supporting players at all levels. His brother Cade is a sophomore at Division III Capital University in Columbus, Ohio.

Major Events Covered:

  • NBA Finals (2017, 2018)
  • NBA Playoffs (2014-2018, 2022-2025)
  • NBA All-Star Weekend (2019, 2020, 2022)
  • NBA Summer League (2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024)
  • NBA Draft Combine (2018, 2019)
  • Cleveland Cavaliers Media Day (2015-19, 2021-24)
Meet All Our Experts

More RG Exclusive Interviews

Basketball
Analysis
Top 10 Greatest NBA Players of All Time According to AI

Taking a look at the 10 greatest NBA players of all-time, according to four AI models - ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Grok, and Gemini.

22
07/31/2025
Quinn Allen
Quinn Allen
Top 10 Greatest NBA Players of All Time According to AI
Basketball
Interview
Enrique Freeman Excited to be in NBA Free Agency, First Camp a Success

NBA free agent forward Enrique Freeman describes his first basketball camp hosting experience, a productive Summer League, and his rookie year with the Pacers.

7
07/26/2025
Spencer Davies
Spencer Davies
Enrique Freeman Excited to be in NBA Free Agency, First Camp a Success
Basketball
Interview
Drew League Boss Talks Kobe, LeBron, Bronny And NBA Buzz

Drew League commissioner Dino Smiley reflects on iconic NBA cameos, including Kobe, LeBron, and a possible Bronny debut ahead of the 2025 playoffs.

14
07/25/2025
Mark Medina
Mark Medina
Drew League Boss Talks Kobe, LeBron, Bronny And NBA Buzz
Basketball
Analysis
Top NBA Free Agents Still Available for 2025-26 Season

Taking a look at the five best free agents still available in the NBA ahead of the 2025-26 season, with the likes of Al Horford and Quentin Grimes headlining the list.

6
07/25/2025
Quinn Allen
Quinn Allen
Top NBA Free Agents Still Available for 2025-26 Season
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Read our
Privacy Policy
.