Coaching changes are a part of the professional sports experience, however, they're often saved for the offseason. That hasn't been the case in the NBA lately, as the Denver Nuggets just fired head coach Michael Malone less than two weeks after the Memphis Grizzlies shockingly kicked Taylor Jenkins to the curb.
Even though Malone's firing isn't exactly unwarranted, the fact that it happened this close to the playoffs came out of left field. Speaking of surprises, it turns out that a certain ex-Los Angeles Lakers guard likely played a significant role in the Nuggets' coaching change.
Lakers News: Russell Westbrook Played Role in Nuggets Firing Michael Malone
On Thursday, The Athletic's Sam Amick and Tony Jones did a deep dive into Malone's firing, as well as Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth's dismissal. During the duo's research, they discovered that former Lakers guard Russell Westbrook factored heavily into Denver's coaching change.
"Malone's choice to continue supporting Westbrook — despite the frustration he was causing on and off the floor — ultimately led to a loss of credibility among the team’s key players," Amick and Jones wrote. "Affording Westbrook that sort of treatment, even with his Hall of Fame resume, wasn’t received well by some."
◽️ Star players — even Nikola Jokić — frustrated
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) April 10, 2025
◽️ Short rotations and the Russell Westbrook factor
◽️ A Tim Connelly reunion?@sam_amick and @tjonesonthenba on the Nuggets' "cold war" between Michael Malone and Calvin Booth — and how it cost both their jobs ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/unhn5bdcND
Westbrook can be a frustrating player to watch, and no one knows that better than Lakers fans after the nine-time NBA All-Star's recent brief run in L.A. Having said that, the ex-UCLA Bruin had mostly been playing well for the Nuggets up until the last stretch before Malone's firing.
The straw that broke the camel's back in Denver was when Westbrook missed a wide-open layup against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Apr. 1, costing the Nuggets an all-important win. Although the gaff would've been bad in a vacuum, it's even worse knowing that it spoiled Nikola Jokic's 60-point triple-double.
Instead of calling Westbrook out for his glaring mistake and recently regressing play, Malone frustrated the fanbase and Nuggets management's feathers by defending the veteran playmaker. Even worse, he did so by taking a shot at Denver's young players.
"(Westbrook) knows what big games are about, and we're playing a lot of guys that have no idea what big games are about," Malone said on Apr. 6, per Associated Press' Arnie Melendrez Stapleton. "So, having a veteran that’s been there and done that can reassure some of those guys."
At the end of the day, Malone's blind allegiance to Westbrook ultimately cost him his job. One can only assume how awkward things are in the Nuggets locker room at the moment, especially with rumors swirling that the former NBA MVP's teammates reportedly not being his biggest fans.
Meanwhile, the Lakers fanbase surely won't complain about the turmoil in Denver. The Nuggets have been a recent thorn in the Lakers' side, having been eliminated by the former in back-to-back postseasons. Who would've thought that Westbrook would help L.A. two years after being traded away?
As Malone begins his job search, the Lakers will continue marching toward the playoffs with the fifth-best 2025 NBA Finals odds (+1600) on DraftKings Sportsbook.
More Los Angeles Lakers News & Rumors:
Odds update periodically and are subject to change.