Nuggets part ways with coach Michael Malone and GM Calvin Booth.

 The Denver Nuggets made a stunning move on Tuesday, firing head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth just days before the regular season’s conclusion.

David Adelman, the Nuggets' lead assistant, will step in as head coach for the remainder of the season.

The decision comes amid a rough stretch for the Nuggets (47-32), who have dropped four consecutive games and are at risk of slipping into the play-in tournament. Frustrations have mounted, especially with three-time MVP and current MVP candidate Nikola Jokic doing his best to keep the team afloat while Jamal Murray has missed five games due to a hamstring injury.

Emotions have run high, with even the typically calm Jokic expressing rare frustration from the bench as the team struggles. Since the All-Star break, the Nuggets have posted an 11-13 record.

The firing of Malone continues a trend in the NBA, as four of the last six coaches to win an NBA championship are no longer with their teams.

Coach	Team/Title Season
Nick Nurse	Raptors (2018-19)
Frank Vogel	Lakers (2019-20)
Mike Budenholzer	Bucks (2020-21)
Michael Malone	Nuggets (2022-23)

Before the season began, sources told ESPN that tension between Malone and Booth had escalated into a "cold war." Following their championship win, the Nuggets shifted to a younger roster, with players like Christian Braun and Peyton Watson surrounding the core of Jokic, Murray, and Aaron Gordon. Meanwhile, veterans like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown departed via free agency.

Malone, who had been with the Nuggets for 10 seasons and led them to their first NBA title, finished with a 471-327 record. The team also announced that Booth's contract would not be extended.

Josh Kroenke, vice chairman of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, explained that the decision to part ways with Malone wasn't based on a single incident but rather a pattern of concerning trends throughout the season. He noted that wins had sometimes masked underlying issues, adding that he hoped the change would inspire the team as they enter the playoffs.

Kroenke commented, "I think there's more to [the team] than has been accomplished so far… But I think I have a belief that there's more in that group that can be accomplished."

Booth, who had served as GM for the past three seasons, oversaw Denver’s championship run in 2022-23 after Tim Connelly’s departure. In separate statements, Kroenke thanked both Malone and Booth for their roles in delivering the Nuggets’ first championship.

Adelman, son of former head coach Rick Adelman, has been with the Nuggets for eight seasons as an assistant. He previously interviewed for head coaching positions with the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Jokic now faces the challenge of continuing his career without the coach he’s had since entering the NBA.

Kroenke expressed gratitude for Malone's contributions, saying, "There is no amount of gratitude that we can properly convey to his contributions since he joined our franchise in 2015. It is with our utmost respect that we would like to thank Coach Malone for the most successful decade in Nuggets history, setting the all-time wins record and helping deliver Denver our first championship."

Shams Charania of ESPN contributed to this report.