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The Denver Nuggets have reportedly fired head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth, just two years removed from winning their only NBA championship in franchise history, sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to ESPN's Shams Charania on Tuesday (April 8).
"Full clean out: The Denver Nuggets are also firing general manager Calvin Booth, sources tell ESPN. Michael Malone and Booth both out today," Charania wrote on his X account.
Malone is the winningest coach in Nuggets history with a 471-327 regular season record in 10 seasons. The reported firings came days before the conclusion of the 2024-25 NBA season with the Nuggets currently fourth in the Western Conference with a 47-32 record, but having lost four consecutive games, with three remaining.
"Days before the NBA playoffs, the Nuggets dismissed Malone in a meeting today. Malone is the winningest coach in franchise history since being hired in 2015 – and led the Nuggets to the 2023 NBA championship," Charania wrote on his X account.
Nuggets lead assistant David Adelman will reportedly serve as the team's interim head coach following Malone's firing, according to Charania. Malone's reported firing is tied with the Atlanta Hawks' firing of Basketball Hall of Famer Hubie Brown during the 1980-81 season as the latest coaching change in NBA history, according to Charania.
Booth, 48, a former NBA player, initially joined Denver's front office as an assistant general manager in 2017 and was promoted to general manager in 2020. The Nuggets will conclude their regular season schedule with a road game against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday (April 9), a home matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday (April 11) and a road game against the Houston Rockets on Sunday (April 13).