Michael Malone Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Jokic, Malone, Spending Power, Jordan, Uniforms

May 19th, 2025 at 1:24pm CST by Rory Maher

After Sunday’s lopsided Game 7 loss to Oklahoma City, Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic was asked whether or not he intends to suit up for Serbia at the EuroBasket tournament this summer, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops relays. Jokic helped the Serbian national team win a bronze medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

“I think the Olympics made me even better. Playing for your country, with other rules, with different players,” he said. “I need to decide. … I need to talk with the coaches and some of the main players. And we will see. But for now, for the next couple of days, there will be a lot of beer probably.”

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Michael Malone, the former head coach of the Nuggets who was fired with three games left in the regular season, is joining ESPN for its coverage of the Western Conference Finals, according to The Associated Press. The series tips off on Tuesday, with top-seeded Oklahoma City hosting Minnesota. Malone will be featured on both the pregame and halftime shows.
Which NBA teams will have the most spending power this offseason? Which will have the least? Danny Leroux of The Athletic breaks each team into categories, with the Nets having by far the most projected cap space at $58MM. The Spurs are among the group who project to have access to the full (aka non-taxpayer) mid-level exception, the Pacers could have the taxpayer MLE, and the Cavaliers are expected to be over the second tax apron. Leroux also gives a brief rundown of the types of moves each club could consider with respect to their financial situation.
A uniform worn by Bulls legend Michael Jordan during the 1992/93 season was recently sold at auction for $2.6MM, per Dan Hajducky of ESPN.com. Jordan, who wore the red uniform during road games, led the league in scoring for the seventh straight time and led Chicago to its third consecutive title in ’92/93. The former Hornets owner is joining NBC Sports as a special contributor when the NBA returns to the network this fall.
The NBA has informed teams that city edition uniforms will not be worn during the conference finals or finals, a league source tell Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). The city edition uniforms were evidently only permitted for the first two rounds of the playoffs. Indiana faces New York in the Eastern final.

Nuggets Notes: Coaching & GM Change, Westbrook, Braun, Adelman

May 4th, 2025 at 8:48am CST by Arthur Hill

The Nuggets were headed in the wrong direction when they made the controversial decision to fire head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth with three games remaining in the regular season, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. They had just lost four in a row and were in danger of dropping into the play-in tournament. Now they’re headed to the second round of the playoffs after destroying the Clippers in Saturday’s Game 7, and Nikola Jokic believes the changes paved the way for playoff success.

“I think the owner … wanted to change something, to change the energy, and probably he did,” Jokic said. “He got the result he was looking for.”

Malone and Booth had a contentious relationship for years and were locked in an ongoing battle of basketball philosophies. Malone preferred to rely on experienced players who had earned his trust, while Booth wanted him to give more minutes to the young talent he drafted and signed. Numerous reports stated that their bickering brought a negative energy to the organization, and they were both likely to be let go after the season ended.

“If we don’t make the changes, there’s no way we’re even in a Game 7,” one Nuggets executive told Shelburne.

There’s more from Denver:

Saturday’s victory was satisfying for former Clipper Russell Westbrook, who contributed 16 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals in 27 minutes, Shelburne adds. As they did throughout the series, L.A.’s defenders backed far off Westbrook and dared him to shoot from the outside. He promised after Game 1 to discuss the strategy when the Nuggets “took care of business,” and Saturday night he did. “I think they believed that that was their best bet of stopping me or taking me out of this series,” Westbrook said. “But one thing that nobody knows is that I work my ass off. So regardless of what anybody does, I’m always prepared and I’ll be prepared for anything because I prepare myself for everything. And like I said, after Game 1, if they continue doing it, I’m going to make ’em pay. I don’t know what I shot for the series.” When informed that he made 42% of his three-pointers, he smiled and said, “Damn, that’s solid. I guess it didn’t work out so well for them.”
Christian Braun got a chance to erase the bad memories of last year’s Game 7 loss to Minnesota, notes Luca Evans of The Denver Post. Braun was limited to five points in 19:46 as the Nuggets were eliminated in 2024, but he was crucial to this year’s victory. He played tight defense on James Harden throughout the series, and kept the Nuggets from falling too far behind by scoring nine of their 21 first-quarter points on Saturday. “I wanted to be more,” Braun said, referencing the loss to the Wolves. “And everybody wants to play more. But I just thought that in that game, I felt like I was playing well and wanted to play more minutes. And everybody wants that, everybody in the league wants that, and I got that. That’s exactly what I wanted, and those guys trusted me — they have all year — but they trusted me in that moment. So, this is the exact moment I was looking for.”
The Nuggets should remove head coach David Adelman’s interim tag as soon as their playoff run ends, contends Troy Renck of The Denver Post. Renck states that ownership is leaning toward giving Adelman the job on a permanent basis, and he proved he’s worthy with his performance in the first-round series.

Kenny Atkinson Wins Coaches Association Award

April 19th, 2025 at 11:27am CST by Luke Adams

Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson has won the Michael H. Goldberg award for the 2024/25 season, earning Coach of the Year from the National Basketball Coaches Association, according to a press release.

This award, introduced in 2017 and named after longtime NBCA executive director Michael H. Goldberg, is voted on by the NBA’s 30 head coaches, none of whom can vote for himself.

It isn’t the NBA’s official Coach of the Year award, which is voted on by media members and is represented by the Red Auerbach Trophy. The winner of that award will be announced later this spring.

J.B. Bickerstaff (Pistons), Mark Daigneault (Thunder), Ime Udoka (Rockets), and – interestingly – Michael Malone (Nuggets) also received votes from their fellow coaches for this year’s NBCA award. Malone was let go by Denver earlier this month.

Atkinson was hired by the Cavaliers last June and was tasked with turning the team into a legitimate title contender following a 48-win season and a second-round playoff exit. Despite the fact that Cleveland’s roster didn’t undergo any major changes last summer, the team had one of the best years in franchise history, racking up 64 wins and holding the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference for nearly the entire season.

After the Cavs placed 16th in the NBA with a 114.7 offensive rating in 2023/24, Atkinson helped turn the unit into the league’s top-ranked offense in ’24/25 — Cleveland’s 121.0 offensive rating led the league by a comfortable margin. The club also ranked eighth in defensive rating (111.8) and third in overall net rating (+9.2).

The NBCA Coach of the Year award has frequently been a bellwether for the NBA’s Coach of the Year honor, which bodes well for Atkinson. In six of the eight years since the award’s inception, the winner has gone on to be named the NBA’s Coach of the Year, including in 2024 when Daigneault won both awards.

Nuggets Name Ben Tenzer Interim GM

April 14th, 2025 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking today to reporters, Nuggets vice chairman Josh Kroenke announced that vice president of basketball operations Ben Tenzer has been named the team’s interim GM (Twitter link).

Tenzer was a minor league coordinator for the Nuggets from 2005-09 and a legal extern in 2012 before being formally hired by the organization in 2013 as its director of team operations.

He has since worked his way up the basketball operations department, serving this past season as the general manager of Denver’s G League team (the Grand Rapids Gold) in addition to holding the title of Nuggets VP of basketball operations. According to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link), Tenzer is considered a salary cap expert.

A report last week indicated that Kroenke himself would serve as the Nuggets’ president of basketball operations – assisted by Tenzer and assistant general manager Tommy Balcetis – until the club hires a permanent replacement for GM Calvin Booth.

It’s safe to assume that Kroenke will still be the one signing off on any roster moves or personnel decisions Denver makes, but it sounds as if Tenzer will handle the day-to-day GM duties for now. With no trades or free agent signings permitted during the postseason, the Nuggets shouldn’t face any real roster decisions until this summer.

A full-fledged search for Booth’s replacement will be conducted once the Nuggets’ season comes to an end, Durando confirms.

Here’s more on the Nuggets:

During Monday’s media session, Kroenke disputed a report which stated the Nuggets have been reluctant to trade Michael Porter Jr. due to his ties to the University of Missouri (which Porter and Kroenke both attended). According to Kroenke, the Nuggets are willing to trade anyone to improve their roster, as Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette relays (via Twitter).
Kroenke also pushed back on rumors that Russell Westbrook caused any problems in the Nuggets’ locker room, telling reporters that he “can’t say enough good things” about his experience with Westbrook and referring to the veteran guard as a “spicy ingredient” the team needed (Twitter links via Benedetto and Durando).
Jamal Murray, who had only played for Michael Malone since entering the NBA in 2016, spoke on Friday about the dismissal of the Nuggets’ longtime head coach, as Durando writes for The Denver Post. “I think he’s done a great job of also setting the example for the group behind us — not just us but for the group behind us,” Murray said. “He always preached a lot of sacrifice and playing for one another and stuff, but I thought Coach always showed a lot of humility in himself. Always taking control of the room. Always hating to lose. He was always setting the tone in that regard. So it sucks to kind of see him go like that, especially the way it happened this late (in the season). But we’re still gonna remain in contact and stuff like that.”
If interim head coach David Adelman leads the Nuggets to at least the second round of the playoffs, the team should give him the full-time job, contends Troy Renck of The Denver Post.

Suns Dismiss Mike Budenholzer

April 14th, 2025 at 11:07am CST by Arthur Hill

Mike Budenholzer is out as head coach of the Suns, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Budenholzer’s firing was widely anticipated after Phoenix fell far short of expectations despite a payroll approaching $400MM between salaries and tax penalties. After a fast start, the Suns stumbled to 36-46 record and failed to reach the play-in tournament.

Budenholzer, a two-time Coach of the Year, was in his first season with the team after agreeing to a five-year deal worth more than $50MM last May. This marks the third straight offseason that Phoenix will make a coaching change since Mat Ishbia bought the team. The Suns parted with Monty Williams in 2023 and Frank Vogel in 2024.

The organization’s dissatisfaction with Budenholzer went beyond the losing record, sources tell Doug Haller, Sam Amick and Fred Katz of The Athletic. There were concerns about his ability to manage the locker room and his “contentious” relationship with Devin Booker and other players. While there’s heavy trade speculation surrounding Kevin Durant, the authors report that Suns management plans to rebuild around Booker and couldn’t envision “a productive path forward” with Budenholzer as head coach.

Haller, Amick and Katz note that Budenholzer inherited many of the problems that led to his downfall. Hefty salaries for Booker, Durant and Bradley Beal led to second-apron restrictions that limited the Suns’ ability to make roster moves. Budenholzer was left with a team short on defensive ability and toughness that ranked 27th in points allowed per possession.

The authors point out that Budenholzer used 35 different starting lineups and made rotation changes that sometimes led to confusion in the locker room. They cite examples such as rookie Ryan Dunn, who was benched for a while despite being the team’s best defender, and Bol Bol, who averaged 21 minutes during a 16-game stretch in January and February then barely got off the bench for the rest of the season.

Despite the coaching change, league sources tell Haller, Amick and Katz that no immediate moves are planned in the front office, although that could change as the offseason wears on. President of basketball operations James Jones will have his contract expire in June, and Ishbia is expected to consider replacing him. They add that it’s not clear what plans Ishbia has for CEO Josh Bartelstein.

Suns insider John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 tweets that Budenholzer’s dismissal is “just the beginning” and many more changes are coming to the organization. Gambadoro adds (via Twitter) that he doesn’t expect Michael Malone or Taylor Jenkins to emerge as serious candidates for the coaching job in Phoenix.

Inside The Nuggets’ Firing Of Michael Malone, Calvin Booth

April 12th, 2025 at 6:25pm CST by Arthur Hill

Former Nuggets head coach Michael Malone had lost the support of virtually the entire locker room by the time he and general manager Calvin Booth were fired earlier this week, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (subscription required) reports within an investigation of what went wrong in Denver.

Malone was a strong-willed coach whose emotions varied greatly depending on whether the team won or lost, sources tell Fischer. Many players found that experience grating and began to tune him out.

“I can’t say any player was vouching for him,” one source told Fischer, while another said “this thing is broken” after a loss to Indiana last week.

As several other reports have indicated, Malone and Booth had a strained relationship and rarely communicated other than to discuss matters involving the team. Booth turned down a contract extension prior to the season, believing it was below his market value, and it was widely believed that Malone’s time in Denver would have ended this offseason if Booth had accepted the offer and remained GM.

Much of their conflict stemmed from Malone’s preference to rely on experienced veterans at the expense of younger talent, which Fischer notes is a practice that pre-dates Booth’s arrival to the team. Fischer points to Isaiah Hartenstein, one of the most sought-after free agents on last year’s market, as the best example. Hartenstein could have developed into a reliable backup for Nikola Jokic, but Malone only used him in 30 games during the 2020/21 season before he was traded to Cleveland at the deadline.

A similar situation played out last year with Jay Huff, who has blossomed this season in Memphis. Sources tell Fischer that Booth and assistant general manager Tommy Balcetis both implored Malone to play Huff, who was on a two-way contract at the time, but he only got into 20 games and averaged 2.5 minutes per night.

While Christian Braun eventually broke through and has established himself as a reliable starter, Malone was pushing to trade him for a more established player leading up to the 2024 deadline, sources tell Fischer.

Fischer points out that despite their animosity, Malone and Booth were able to produce the most successful seasons in Nuggets history, winning the NBA title in 2023 and matching the franchise record for victories with 57 last year.

Much of the frustration stemmed from Malone’s refusal to give regular minutes to the young players Booth brought in after Bruce Brown, Jeff Green and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope left in free agency. Fischer notes that Booth had a sign-and-trade opportunity with the Mavericks last summer involving Caldwell-Pope, but he didn’t want to strengthen the roster of the defending Western Conference champions.

The Nuggets were quiet at this year’s trade deadline, as Booth said potential deals would have to involve Zeke Nnaji‘s $8.8MM salary and Dario Saric‘s $5.1MM. Fischer hears that Denver expressed interest in several players — including Terance Mann, who was ultimately dealt to Atlanta — but Booth felt the price was too high and many potential trading partners shied away from Saric because he holds a player option for next season.

The front office also considered trade options that would turn Michael Porter Jr.‘s $36MM salary into multiple players on lesser deals, according to Fischer. He adds that it never got past the conceptual stage, noting that the Kroenkes are fond of Porter because he’s a Missouri alum just like they are, and they’re considered unlikely to trade him away.

Nuggets players are more supportive of interim coach David Adelman, and Fischer hears that he’ll get a chance to keep the job on a permanent basis. Fischer notes that Booth wasn’t immediately replaced, but sources tell him the team will conduct a search for a new head of basketball operations while keeping most of the current front office together. Fischer mentions Minnesota general manager Matt Lloyd as a name to watch.

The biggest question hanging over the Nuggets as the season winds down is whether Jokic might grow tired of all the chaos and ask for a trade. Fischer states that the three-time MVP has shown no indication of wanting out, but adds that rival teams are sure to be calling with offers this summer.

Nuggets Notes: Malone, Booth, Jokic

April 12th, 2025 at 8:34am CST by Earnest Marshall

Nuggets coaches and staffers felt compelled to choose sides amid in-season conflicts between Michael Malone and Calvin Booth, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and Ramona Shelburne and previous reports. With the focus shifting away from maximizing Nikola Jokic‘s stellar season, team president Josh Kroenke made the shocking decision to part ways with both head coach and general manager.

“Everybody in the organization was miserable,” a team source said to ESPN. “That’s what Josh felt. It’s a bad vibe. You can’t operate like that. He felt that if he removed those two people, everybody could just focus on doing their job. Change needed to happen.”

Once the team started losing, it made it difficult for the relationships in the organization to remain intact, MacMahon and Shelburne write. As previously relayed, Malone and Booth’s views on the roster were different, with the former preferring to have maintained veterans from the championship-winning team like Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Booth, meanwhile, planned to develop young players like Jalen Pickett and Christian Braun around Jokic.

“If you’re one of Calvin’s guys, Malone doesn’t want to play you,” a team source said to ESPN.

As for Jokic’s future, he has given no indication he wants to be anywhere other than Denver. Before the season, he expressed a belief in what the Nuggets had. Everything Denver will do moving forward, per ESPN, is centered around Jokic and even a slight hesitation to sign an extension this offseason would be difficult for the organization.

“I think people in general, they always want more and more and more, but they don’t know what they have,” Jokic told ESPN. “I’m really happy we have one title — a lot of very good players don’t win.”

We have more from the Nuggets:

The Nuggets offered Booth a contract extension during the 2024 offseason, MacMahon and Shelburne confirm. When he didn’t accept, the two sides played out the season to this point.
Malone and Booth seldom engaged with each other outside of meetings with Kroenke, according to The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando. Kroenke ultimately didn’t want to play intermediary or pick a side.
On the court, Jokic is putting the finishing touches on an MVP-caliber season. On Friday, he became the third player in league history to officially average a triple-double for an entire season, Arnie Melendrez Stapleton of The Associated Press notes. The only other players to ever do so are Oscar Robertson and Jokic’s teammate Russell Westbrook. Entering the final game of the year, Jokic is averaging 29.8 points, 12.8 rebounds and 10.3 assists per contest. Even if he doesn’t register a single assist, the Nuggets star will finish the season at 10.1 APG.

Nikola Jokic Discusses Nuggets’ Coaching Change

April 10th, 2025 at 10:54pm CST by Earnest Marshall

The Nuggets made the stunning decision to part with head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth earlier this week. Before the news broke, Denver did indeed inform its superstar Nikola Jokic that Malone, with whom Jokic had spent his entire career with, would not be continuing with the franchise, according to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk.

“I knew a little bit before everybody,” Jokic said. “And (team president and governor Josh Kroenke) told me, ‘We made a decision.’ So it was not a discussion. It was a decision, and he told me why. So I listened and I accept it.”

In the wake of the move, the Nuggets picked up a win over the Kings under interim coach David Adelman. According to The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando, the coaching staff tried to give players more flexibility to be communicative, including Jokic explaining plays and using the whiteboard during the team huddle.

“People say that we are vulnerable, but the beast is always the strongest or the most dangerous when they’re vulnerable,” Jokic said. “Maybe (Kroenke) woke up the beast. I mean, when someone wants to wake somebody up or change the energy, that’s probably what they do. In my country, if somebody gets fired … probably you’re the next (to go). So I think it definitely changed something, and they got the reaction that they wanted, probably.”

Jokic added that the change simply reflected the nature of the NBA and that the Nuggets needed to process the move quickly with the playoffs looming. Still, the three-time MVP developed a close relationship with Malone and made sure to reach out and check on him afterward.

“It was a 10-year relationship,” Jokic said. “So it was just, it was a heavy day for everybody. Especially for him and his family.“

Latest On Nuggets’ Dismissals Of Calvin Booth, Michael Malone

April 10th, 2025 at 9:45am CST by Dana Gauruder

Team officials and players had grown weary of the disconnect between Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth and head coach Michael Malone. That, plus a desire to audition top assistant David Adelman for the head coaching job, led to the dismissals of both Booth and Malone, The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Tony Jones report.

Booth wanted to fire Malone as the team struggled down the stretch but knew he no longer had the power to make that bold move because of his contract situation. In the last year of his deal after failing to sign extension with ownership, Booth figured he would have to wait until after the playoffs to dismiss Malone, depending upon how the team performed.

Instead, owner Stan Kroenke and team president Josh Kroenke chose to part with both of them. The Kroenkes had made previous efforts to repair the relationship between Booth and Malone to no avail and ultimately decided to get rid of the negativity that was affecting the team. The team’s most important players, including Nikola Jokic, had grown frustrated and weary by Malone’s fiery approach.

Having replaced Malone shortly before the regular season ended, Adelman will have a chance to show whether he should have the interim tag removed after the postseason. Adelman has the support of the team’s regulars due to his steady and calm demeanor.

The ownership group is also aware that Adelman, whose contract is expiring, could have other head coaching opportunities. The Trail Blazers are likely to pursue him if they decide to fire Chauncey Billups, league sources tell Amick and Jones.

Here’s more from The Athletic’s in-depth reporting:

It’s expected that the Kroenkes will mull a possible reunion with Tim Connelly, the former Nuggets GM who took over as the Timberwolves’ top exec in May 2022. Connelly has an opt-out in his contract for this summer. However, it’s believed that the Timberwolves’ new owners, Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore, will try to retain him. If the Nuggets can’t pry away Connelly, they could instead make a run at Minnesota GM Matt Lloyd.
Malone had more input on personnel decisions when Connelly ran the show. Once Booth took over, Malone had much less influence and that irked the head coach. Booth had considered firing Malone prior to the team’s 2023 championship run.
Booth had extensive discussions with the Kroenkes heading into the season but chose not to sign what he believed was a below-market offer. However, Booth believed that an extension was a mere formality. The Kroenkes pulled their offer when the club got off to a mediocre start.
As previously reported, Booth wanted Malone to give more minutes to the younger guys that he drafted, particularly Jalen Pickett and Peyton Watson. After the team was eliminated by Minnesota last season, Booth thought Malone should have expanded the rotation during the regular season to keep the top players fresher, while Malone thought Booth should have given him a more well-rounded roster.
Booth’s offseason decisions to give Zeke Nnaji a four-year contract and sign Dario Saric further strained the relationship. Malone hasn’t used either player in the rotation in recent months. Malone’s decision to stick with Russell Westbrook, another offseason pickup, over Pickett also caused considerable friction.
Westbrook’s future with the organization, even if he picks up his $3.4MM option, is uncertain. Adelman was quicker to sub out Westbrook for Pickett during the team’s win over the Kings on Wednesday. Jamal Murray is expected to return from his hamstring injury on Friday.

Nuggets Notes: Adelman, Malone, Booth, Murray

April 9th, 2025 at 9:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

Interim coach David Adelman talked about improving the “overall vibe” around the Nuggets as he met with the media before Wednesday’s game at Sacramento, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link). Adelman also cited the need for players “to start to rely on each other in a more positive way. And constructive criticism is good, but I think there’s gotta be a better way to communicate with our group. And that I think will lead to better play.”

Adelman is in a difficult spot as he takes over a team locked in a tight playoff race with three games left in the regular season. Denver could wind up anywhere from third to eighth in the conference standings, so it’s urgent to pick up wins tonight against the Kings, Friday at home against Memphis, and Sunday at Houston.

Adelman also acknowledged former head coach Michael Malone, who amassed 471 victories in nearly 10 seasons with the Nuggets before being dismissed on Tuesday along with general manager Calvin Booth (Twitter link).

“Best coach in (franchise) history,” Adelman said. “Can’t argue it. Percentage-wise. Wins. Finals championship. … The national narrative, whatever it is, I look at it as a hell of a run. And he’s not done.”

Adelman told reporters that vice chairman Josh Kroenke met with the players after the decision to fire Malone and Booth was announced (Twitter link). According to Adelman, Kroenke’s message was, “To be concise: ‘Be better.'”

There’s more on the Nuggets:

Booth deserved to be fired after letting the trade deadline pass without a major addition, but Malone should have been treated better, contends Troy Renck of The Denver Post. Renck argues that if Malone had been in charge of personnel, he never would have let Bruce Brown or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope leave in free agency. Renck also points out that Malone gave opportunities to the young talent that Booth drafted, but only Christian Braun has emerged as a dependable rotation player.
Booth’s mistakes included gambling on Jamal Murray‘s health by giving him a four-year max extension last offseason, writes Sean Keeler of The Denver Post. Murray was a vital part of the 2023 championship team, but he missed the previous two postseasons with a torn ACL and his status for this year’s playoffs is uncertain due to inflammation in his right hamstring.
Giannis Sfairopoulos, head coach of Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade, talked to George Adamopoulos of Eurohoops about getting an offer to become an assistant with the Nuggets when Malone took over the team in 2015. “If I agreed, maybe I would still be there,” Sfairopoulos said. “But that’s not the point. The point is it was bad timing.”