The Denver Nuggets are rewarding head coach Michael Malone for winning the first NBA title for the franchise last season. According to ESPN’s NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Malone has received a new contract extension that makes him one of the league’s highest-paid coaches.
The details of the agreement are still unknown, but it is believed that the extension ties Malone to the Nuggets at least through the 2026-27 season. He is currently the fourth longest-serving head coach in the NBA behind San Antonio Spurs’ Gregg Popovich, Miami Heat’s Erik Spoelstra, and Golden State Warriors’ Steve Kerr.
If the reports about the financial package are correct, he will likely earn north of $10 million annually. Currently, the highest-paid coaches in the NBA are Popovich, who signed a five-year, $80 million contract extension in the summer, and Monty Williams, who agreed to a six-year, $78.5 million deal in June to coach the Detroit Pistons.
Michael Malone started his NBA coaching career in the early 2000s with the New York Knicks. After serving as an assistant with several other franchises, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, Malone was hired as the head coach of the Sacramento Kings in 2013. He spent just over one year with the Kings, posting 28 – 54 in his first season and being fired after going 11-13 to start the 2014–15 campaign.
Malone received a chance for redemption from the Nuggets, who hired him ahead of the 2015–16 season. While his early years with the franchise were full of ups and downs, Malone steadied the ship in 2018–19 and led Denver to a 54-28 record and Conference Semi-finals appearances. This was followed by four more consecutive postseason trips, including winning an NBA Championship in dominant fashion in 2022-23.
