The Nuggets fired Michael Malone because he lost the locker room's trust—especially due to his unwavering support of a disruptive Russell Westbrook—which ultimately alienated core players like Nikola Jokic.
The Denver Nuggets stunned the NBA world by firing both head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth with just three regular-season games remaining.
Russell Westbrook
| MIN: | 27.98 |
| PTS: | 13.19 (48.98%) |
| REB: | 5.01 |
| As: | 6.12 |
| ST: | 1.42 |
| BL: | 0.51 |
| TO: | 3.27 |
| GM: | 73 |
Now, new reports are shedding light on what led to the drastic decision by team owner Josh Kroenke and the front office to part ways with two key figures behind the team's recent success.
According to Tony Jones and Sam Amick of The Athletic, the turning point came when players began to lose faith in Malone—largely due to how he handled Russell Westbrook.
"All the while, Malone's choice to continue supporting Westbrook — despite the frustration he was causing on and off the floor — ultimately led to a loss of credibility among the team's key players," the report stated.
"It was one thing when Malone handled Jokic and Murray with more leniency than the rest of their group, but affording Westbrook that sort of treatment, even with his Hall of Fame resume, wasn't received well by some."
On top of that, The Athletic noted that rival teams had begun to hear whispers about Nikola Jokic's growing frustration with the team's direction.
"The Nuggets' locker room was a mess," the report said, adding that sources around the league indicated Jokic and other core players had grown tired of Malone's intense coaching style.
The team played its first game without Malone on Wednesday night, beating the Sacramento Kings 124–116. After the game, Jokic revealed that he knew about the firings before ESPN's Shams Charania broke the news publicly.
Denver currently sits fourth in the Western Conference, tied with the Los Angeles Clippers at 48–32. Their final two regular-season games are against the Memphis Grizzlies and the Houston Rockets.
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