With three games left in the 2024-2024 regular season, you’d expect the Denver Nuggets to begin ramping up for the postseason. 

The Nuggets are currently tied with the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, and the Memphis Grizzlies record-wise, but only three of them will be able to directly advance to the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Denver will still play the Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, and the Houston Rockets to close the regular season, so with crucial games still on the table, you’d expect the Nuggets to rely on their stability as a team. 

But instead, they chose chaos. 

Denver head coach Michael Malone was let go after almost a decade of success with the Nuggets. It came as a shock to everyone and now Denver must deal with the uncertainty of the basketball team aside from worrying about the precariousness of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs. 

Unfortunately, news of Malone’s firing won’t be able to top the Los Angeles Lakers acquiring Luka Doncic, something that might irk Malone, who is known for keeping the Lakers rent free in his head. 

Prior to Malone, the Nuggets were a good team that couldn’t get over the proverbial titleless hump, and at that time were still searching for their identity and success following the Carmelo Anthony trade. Malone did more for Denver than any other head coach had done in their history thanks to his 2023 title run alone, and he also gave Nikola Jokic a shot and pretty much made him a household name in Denver and in the rest of the league. 

With Malone gone, the Nuggets’ championship outlook may not be as rosy. Yes, they still have the tools to contend, but the 53-year old ability to utilize his roster was more valuable than what they had on paper. Denver can make it past the first round of the postseason on their talent alone, but they will have to figure out how to cope and adjust with the hurdles of an extended playoff run.  

Given his body of work as a head coach, Malone will have at least a handful of NBA teams knocking on his door, with the most intriguing destination perhaps being the San Antonio Spurs. 

As it stands, Gregg Popovich is still the head coach, but his recent medical issues have raised questions about the Spurs’ succession plans. Malone can get some much-deserved rest while San Antonio makes a decision. If Popovich decides to go for one last ride, Malone can join Popovich’s staff and take the path chosen by Kenny Atkinson and Mike Brown. 

NBA teams firing their head coaches a few years after championships is unfortunately not uncommon these days, but there was this feeling that perhaps Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone might be one of the untouchables. Malone brought success to the Nuggets and elevated them into perennial title contenders. 

Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to cut it in today’s NBA, where you’re only as good as your last game. For now, Malone can rest and recharge, in the hopes that the next team can love him like he loves to talk about the Los Angeles Lakers.