Michael Malone's Top Potential NBA Landing Spots After Nuggets Firing

Leading the Denver Nuggets to the verge of a seventh straight playoffs wasn't enough to save head coach Michael Malone's job.

The Nuggets, currently sitting at No. 4 in the West with a 47-32 record, announced Malone's firing on Tuesday after 10 seasons and a championship with the team.

Malone led the Nuggets to a 471-327 regular-season record, a 44-36 playoff slate and the 2023 title.

While David Adelman takes over in an interim capacity in Denver, several NBA teams could be eyeing Malone as their next head coach.

The San Antonio Spurs could pursue Malone if longtime head coach Gregg Popovich, who has not coached since suffering a stroke in November 2024, does not return next season. ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel wrote Tuesday that Malone to the Spurs was something to "keep a close eye on."

Malone's success with a star guard in Jamal Murray and a big man in Nikola Jokić could potentially make him a good fit to work with De'Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio.

Another fit for Malone could be in Milwaukee. If the Bucks decide to part ways with Doc Rivers after this season, the franchise could potentially pursue the former Nuggets coach as a way to maximize Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Memphis Grizzlies, who fired Taylor Jenkins last month, and the Sacramento Kings, who parted ways with Mike Brown in December, are already in need of new full-time head coaches.

The Grizzlies, who are reportedly looking for someone to build an offense that fits Ja Morant, could look at Murray's career-high 21.6 point-per-game average this season as an example of Malone's ability to maximize a star guard.

The Kings could also potentially be interested in Malone, although he blasted the organization in December for their midseason firing of Brown. Malone previously coached the Kings for parts of two seasons until he was fired midway through the 2014-15 campaign.

Malone had coached the Nuggets since 2015. He was the third-longest-tenured coach in the NBA prior to his firing.

The Nuggets' abrupt decision marks the continuation of high coaching turnover in the NBA. Popovich, the Miami Heat's Erik Spoelstra and the Golden State Warriors' Steve Kerr are the only remaining coaches who have been with their teams since before the 2020 season, per Sportico's Lev Akabas.