Report: Calvin Booth was ‘dismayed’ Michael Malone played Russell Westbrook over Jalen Pickett down the stretch of games

According to NBA insiders Tony Jones, Sam Amick and Zach Powell of The Athletic, Calvin Booth was “dismayed” that Michael Malone played Russell Westbrook over Jalen Pickett down the stretch of games last week. 

Booth and Malone didn’t have a good relationship. The Denver Nuggets fired both guys on Tuesday. 

“Booth wanted Malone to use younger players that he drafted and wanted Malone to stray away from using veterans for so many minutes,” Jones, Amick nd Powell wrote. “Pickett is a good example of this, according to league sources. Booth was dismayed that Malone went with Westbrook over Pickett down the stretch of multiple games last week. On a macro level, Booth and Malone disagreed on several things.”

The Nuggets are in fourth place in the Western Conference standings.

Assistant coach David Adelman will take over as interim coach.

“This decision was not made lightly and was evaluated very carefully, and we do it only with the intention of giving our group the best chance at competing for the 2025 NBA championship and delivering another title to Denver and our fans everywhere,” Josh Kroenke, vice chairman of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, said in a statement. “While the timing of this decision is unfortunate, as Coach Malone helped build the foundation of our now championship-level program, it is a necessary step to allow us to compete at the highest level right now.”

The Nuggets have three games left in the regular season. They face the Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets. 

“I am greatly appreciative of the opportunity,” Booth told The Athletic. “I don’t have any regrets. I did my job to the best of my ability.”

Denver won the 2023 championship against the Miami Heat. The team lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of the 2024 playoffs in seven games.