Michael Malone joining ESPN’s ‘NBA Countdown’

Michael Malone is moving from the sidelines to the studio.

The former Nuggets coach is the newest addition to NBA Countdown, ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro announced at the Front Office Sports Tuned In Summit, per Ben Axelrod of Awful Announcing.

Malone, 54, was let go by Denver late last season and quickly pivoted to television, working as a guest analyst during the playoffs.

He even stirred things up when he declared Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander “showed why he’s the MVP” — though Malone later clarified his actual ballot would’ve gone to his former guy, Nikola Jokic.

There was some chatter that Malone could slide right back into coaching — he was linked to the Knicks’ vacancy before New York hired Mike Brown.

With no head jobs currently open, though, he’s chosen to stick around on camera.

As for Countdown, the rest of the crew remains in flux. Malika Andrews is expected to host again, with Stephen A. Smith, Bob Myers and Kendrick Perkins on the ABC side, while Perkins, Chiney Ogwumike, Richard Jefferson, Brian Windhorst and Tim Legler handled ESPN duties last year.

Legler has since been bumped up to the network’s top broadcast team (joining Jefferson), meaning Malone could simply step into that chair.

Malone’s credentials are plenty. He went 510-394 across 11 seasons with the Kings and Nuggets, won the 2023 championship in Denver, and logged more than a decade as an assistant in New York, Cleveland, New Orleans and Golden State.

Now, he’ll try his hand at a different kind of game plan — breaking it all down on TV.