After leading the Denver Nuggets to the first NBA Championship in franchise history last season, head coach Mike Malone has been rewarded with a contract extension, according to ESPN. Malone helped turn the Nuggets from a 30-win team when he took over in 2015 to a perennial NBA title contender. Now, he’s set to join the short list of the league’s highest-paid coaches.
Projecting The Value of Mike Malone’s Contract Extension
The fourth-longest tenured coach in the NBA, Malone has put together an impressive 414-339 coaching record, which ranks 11th among active coaches. Only Gregg Popovich, Erik Spoelstra, and Steve Kerr have been with their respective teams longer than Malone.
While no information about the deal has been released, it is presumed that Malone’s contract will put him in the company of some of the game’s elite coaching talents. Popovich ($16 million) and Monty Williams ($13.05 million) recently set records for the biggest NBA coaching contracts ever.
Meanwhile, Steve Kerr, who is up for an extension at the end of the season and Spoelstra is due for a renewed deal following the 2024-25 season. Kerr is reportedly earning $9.5 million per year while Spoelstra is earning around $8.5 million annually.
With Kerr and Spoelstra due for new contracts in the near future, Malone’s deal likely pays him in the $10 million per year range.
Malone Saw The Vision In Year 1
Back when Malone was still a first-year coach, he was already confident of the abilities of two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. In 2015, Malone told reporters, “I know this kid’s name though, I know Nikola Jokic, and I wouldn’t trade him for anybody in the world.”
Check out a clip of the interview below.
First year Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone on rookie center Nikola Jokic
He knew 👀
pic.twitter.com/Twe5s8zWTV— Mink Flow (@currypistonn) November 13, 2023
Malone has helped build the Nuggets around Jokic, who he called a special talent. Jokic ranks fourth in NBA history with 108 triple doubles and has evolved into arguably the best passing center of all-time.
Defending Champion Nuggets Off To A Hot Start
Following the franchise’s first NBA championship, Malone has led the Nuggets to another hot start.
Denver is coming off of its second off loss of the season after falling to the new-look Houston Rockets.
Despite the defeat, the Nuggets sit atop the Western Conference standings with an 8-2 record through 10 games.
