In a stunning announcement on Tuesday, the Denver Nuggets made a coaching change and fired their general manager. According to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press, gone is head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth, while assistant head coach David Adelman of Salem, Oregon was promoted to head coach.
The reason why this change in Denver is shocking is because the Nuggets are fourth in the Western Conference with a record of 47 wins and 32 losses. In an industry of ‘what have you done for me lately?’, the Nuggets have lost four straight games where they were beaten 140-139 to the Minnesota Timberwolves in overtime on April 1, 113-106 to the San Antonio Spurs on April 2, 118-104 to the Golden State Warriors on April 4, and 125-120 to the Indiana Pacers on April 6. To the defense of Malone and Booth, the Nuggets have been without their second best player (Canadian point guard Jamal Murray of Kitchener, Ontario) because of a hamstring injury since March 26.
Adelman had been the Nuggets assistant coach from 2017 to 2025. Prior to that he had been the Minnesota Timberwolves player development and assistant coach from 2011 to 2016, and the Orlando Magic assistant coach from 2016 to 2017. Adelman was an assistant coach in Denver when Malone was the head coach when the Nuggets won the 2023 NBA Finals.
This is Adelman’s first head coaching assignment in the NBA. He has a similarity with Malone, as both of their fathers were NBA coaches. The late Brendan Malone coached the Toronto Raptors in 1995-96, and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2004-05. Meanwhile, Rick Adelman was the head coach for the Portland Trail Blazers from 1989 to 1994, the Golden State Warriors from 1995 to 1997, the Sacramento Kings from 1999 to 2006, the Houston Rockets from 2007 to 2011, and the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2011 to 2014. Rick Adelman’s 1042 head coaching wins are 10th all-time.
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