Malone Reportedly Was 'Frustrated' with Booth's Roster Strategy, Not Matching KCP Deal

Over time, "a lack of trust that either was operating in good faith" emerged between head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth with the Denver Nuggets, according to the Denver Post's Bennett Durando.

Durando reported one sore spot for Malone was the decision to let veteran guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope leave and sign a $66 million contract with the Orlando Magic. The coach "grew increasingly frustrated with roster construction" at that point.

Booth, for his part, "was livid at Malone for not playing second-year wing Peyton Watson in Game 7 against the Timberwolves last season when the Nuggets blew a 20-point lead in a stunning season-ending loss," per Durando.

The GM also believed his coach "was holding back" second-year guard Jalen Pickett and using Zeke Nnaji at center instead of power forward out of spite.

The idea that Booth and Malone each had their own visions for the roster was apparent to people within the organization.

"If you're one of Calvin's guys, Malone doesn't want to play you," a source said to ESPN's Tim MacMahon and Ramona Shelburne.

Another source pointed Nnaji and said the analytics were "way better" when Denver deployed him at the 4 rather than the 5.

"But if you play him as a 5, he gets exposed. Who does that make look bad?" the source said.

That Caldwell-Pope occupied such a prominent place in Malone's mind speaks to how big the divide was between he and Booth.

Caldwell-Pope was a critical role player in Denver's 2023 championship run, but his performance in the 2024 playoffs was a step below that. He shot 32.7 percent from beyond the arc as the team lost in the Western Conference semifinals.

The 32-year-old's production in 2024-25 is strengthening the logic in letting him go. He's averaging 8.8 points per game, his second-lowest tally ever, and hitting just 34.6 percent of his threes after finishing above 40 percent in his two years with the Nuggets.

Booth was in a bind with KCP in the offseason. Denver was already well into the luxury tax and matching Orlando's offer would mean going into the second apron and further tying the front office's hands. Because of the team's payroll, there was no clear path to signing an adequate replacement for Caldwell-Pope, though.

Malone was right to wonder if the Nuggets took a small step backward after KCP's departure, but it doesn't sound as though he tried very hard to make use of the talent at his disposal.

Now, Denver can hire a new head coach and general manager who share a unified mindset.