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The Nuggets' Odd Move?
The organization has fired Mike Malone and Calvin Booth. The team has struggled for the last two seasons. Losing key players in the off-season and overpaying two role players. It seems like Denver will end up wasting another season of Nikola Jokic.
Syed Shah
April 19, 2025
The Denver Nuggets made a major move before the playoffs as they terminated Mike Malone's employment. That surprised everyone in the NBA. He was the top coach in the league two seasons ago and won the championship. Now he finds himself jobless, and the Nuggets are stuck paying their starting five. Malone said players don’t watch film. Sources also say Jokic was unhappy with the defense. The Nuggets were not the team they were in 2023. The Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder performed well in the past. Now, they don’t appear to be serious contenders. This off-season, the Nuggets might add new front office staff and a head coach. They may also consider moving on from their key players.
After a bad loss in Portland, Mike Malone called out Nuggets players for not watching film and said some players were “full of s—t” 😳
Less than a month later he’s out as the Nuggets HC 👀
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport)
7:17 PM • Apr 8, 2025
This off-season might be key for the Nuggets. They’ve paid a lot for players like Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray. With Jamal being overpaid and not healthy, it seems like he has been in decline since his 2023 Finals run. It was strange that the Nuggets decided to overpay a declining player. This came after his bad games against the Timberwolves and in the Olympics. His decline has been rapid, and paying Jamal through 2029 is awful. Which has hindered this Nuggets roster big time. Along with him, Michael Porter Jr. has been one of the net negative contracts.
Michael Porter Jr. is a player with an injury history himself. And he isn't a strong third option and has his baggage with his poor defense and some of his shot attempts. MJP averages 18 points per game. He shoots 50 percent and 39 percent from three. Porter Jr. also grabs 7 rebounds. This looks good, but it’s not enough to justify a five-year, $179 million contract. Plus, his lack of being able to create his own shot means that he can't take over when needed. The Denver Nuggets paid their star player. This caused them to lose many key players, and they didn’t sign anyone to replace them.
The past few off-seasons for the Nuggets have been trash. The team was once very deep with Bruce Brown, Jeff Green, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Now, they are not able to sign any free agents besides Russell Westbrook on a small contract. The new CBA puts Denver in a position where they have no flexibility. Christian Braun is the only one stepping up. Peyton Watson, Zeke Nnaji, and Julian Strawther are struggling to step up to the plate. The Denver Nuggets have struggled lately. This has resulted in the firing of two key figures in recent years.
The postseason is coming soon with Nikola Jokic having a career season, looking like an MVP. Regardless, they do not look like a team that can compete against the Houston Rockets and OKC Thunder. The loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves doesn't boost confidence in Denver. With Jamal Murray's injury, it is hard to say that he will be at peak performance. Michael Porter Jr. has been inconsistent. Russell Westbrook is a wild card and could go hot and cold, plus Jalen Pickett is an unproven young player. This off-season could be interesting. A new front office and coach will shake things up. The Denver Nuggets have a tough challenge this postseason and offseason.
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