Nuggets coach Michael Malone agrees to contract extension, among top-paid coaches

Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone has agreed on a two-year contract extension through the 2026-27 season that will make him one of the NBA’s highest-paid coaches, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The details of Malone’s new deal are unknown at this time.

In June, the Detroit Pistons gave Monty Williams a deal reportedly worth $78.5 million over six years, the largest in league history. San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich then inked a five-year, $80 million extension in July.

Malone, 52, previously served as an assistant coach of the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, New Orleans Hornets, and Golden State Warriors.

According to multiple NBA betting sites, the Denver Nuggets hold third-shortest odds to win this season’s championship. Sportsbooks are showing better odds for the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks.

ESPN Sources: The Denver Nuggets’ Michael Malone — who led the franchise to the 2023 NBA championship — has agreed on a contract extension that’ll make him one of the league’s highest paid coaches. pic.twitter.com/klyGsLSYKO

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 13, 2023

In June 2013, he received his first NBA head coaching job with the Sacramento Kings. Malone and his father, Karl, became the second father-son duo in NBA history — after Bill Musselman and Eric Musselman — to head coach an NBA team.

Sacramento went 28-54 (.341) in 2013-14, missing the playoffs. On Dec. 15, 2014, he was fired by the Kings after starting the 2014-15 season with an 11-13 (.458) record.

In June 2015, Malone officially became the Nuggets head coach.

Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone signs contract extension to remain with team through 2026-27

Last season, Malone coached Denver to a conference-best 53-29 (.646) record en route to winning its first NBA championship in its 47-year history. The Nuggets’ 16-4 run in the 2023 playoffs was the league’s best playoff record since the Warriors in 2017.

Additionally, Malone led Denver to a Western Conference-leading 8-2 record to begin the 2023-24 season. Denver’s 8-1 record to begin the season was its best start since 2018-19.

Malone is the league’s fourth-longest-tenured coach in the league — trailing San Antonio’s Popovich (1996-present), Miami’s Erik Spoelstra (2008-present), and Golden State’s Steve Kerr (2014-present).

Michael Malone’s extension is for two years, per source, in addition to the two years he had left. That will take him through the 2026-‘27 season in Denver.

— Mike Singer (@msinger) November 13, 2023

Malone is 375-272 (.580) in the regular season with Denver and 37-31 (.554) in the playoffs.

Under the NBA veteran coach, the Nuggets have the second-best winning percentage in the NBA since the 2018-19 season, behind only the Bucks, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Malone ranks third in all-time games coached (647) and total wins (375) among Nuggets head coaches, behind Doug Moe (789 games coached, 432 wins) and George Karl (680 games coached, 423 wins).

Nikola Jokic is the key. In Denver’s 107-104 loss to the Houston Rockets on Sunday, Jokic recorded 36 points, a season-high 21 rebounds, and 11 assists in 39 minutes of action. The two-time MVP became the first NBA player to post that stat line since Wilt Chamberlain in 1968.