Michael Malone was fired just before the end of the regular season, and it sounds like his handling of Russell Westbrook may have been the problem.

Michael Malone isn't the Denver Nuggets coach anymore, but he's still going to make an appearance at the Western Conference finals. Malone is joining the ESPN broadcasting team for the series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Minnesota Timberwolves,

As the Nuggets begin their 2025 offseason, one of the first orders of business is to hire a new general manager to replace Calvin Booth and oversee basketball operations. The team had not yet moved forward with a search as of the end of the season, according to a team source. So, where does the franchise start?

David Adelman will be the permanent head coach of the Denver Nuggets, the team announced Thursday. Adelman, who held the job on an interim basis in the postseason, took over for Michael Malone after both he and Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth were fired with three games left in the regular season.

The Nuggets don’t have a ton of avenues to improve their roster. Unless they’re willing to finally part with a member of their championship core.

The Denver Nuggets‘ season came to an end when they lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of their second-round playoff series. Before their postseason began, the organization made waves with a stunning decision to fire head coach Michael Malone.

David Adelman made a critical mistake in Game 7 for the Denver Nuggets, but he didn’t realize it at the time. Adelman went with a lineup that didn’t include Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, which had a -24 NET rating in the regular season, according to NBA analyst Carson Breber.