NBA News: Denver Nuggets Name Head Coach To Take Them Into the Future

The Denver Nuggets and interim David Adelman have agreed on a deal to make Adelman the franchise's next head coach

The Denver Nuggets made a shocking decision when they fired longtime (and championship-winning) head coach Michael Malone with just three games to go in the regular season. Interim coach David Adelman led them to three wins to finish the season, then a series win in his first round of playoff coaching. Adelman has now been given the head coach's job on a permanent basis.

The Denver Nuggets and interim David Adelman have agreed on a deal to make Adelman the franchise's next head coach, sources tell ESPN. Adelman went 3-0 in regular season after taking over for Michael Malone and won a playoff series, leading Denver to one win from the West finals. pic.twitter.com/22ctnfhg4J
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 22, 2025

Adelman took the Nuggets all the way to Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals before bowing to the heavily favored Oklahoma City Thunder.

Malone, who was the winningest coach in Nuggets history, was fired along with general manager Calvin Booth on April 8th. The team is still taking its time looking for a replacement for Booth.

Seamlessness and cohesiveness lead Nuggets to name Adelman head coach

Adelman was Malone's assistant for eight seasons, and had obviously developed a close bond with the whole group, leaving his hiring as a seamless link to the future, according to team president Josh Kroenke.

“Part of the thinking of making the change when we made it was to give David a chance,” Kroenke said. "He’s grown with the group and he understands their tendencies as players. I think equally important right now... is (that) he knows them as people, what makes them tick.

“And I think bringing in somebody from the outside, while I was very open-minded to it initially, I saw the cohesiveness of the relationships on the human side. I think that’s a big factor in where we’re heading with this group now and getting the most out of them.”

This is the right hire — David Adelman is a really smart coach and did an impressive job in the playoffs amid tough circumstances. Nikola Jokic and this roster respects him. https://t.co/eC4UGyqpkr
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) May 22, 2025

The Nuggets finished the regular season with a 50-32 record, for the 4-seed in the West. They won the NBA title just two years ago, and have all of the major players from that team still intact, including three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and his star sidekick Jamal Murray.