Fired Nuggets coach Michael Malone joining ESPN broadcast team ahead of Western Conference finals

Michael Malone isn't the Denver Nuggets coach anymore, but he's still going to make an appearance at the Western Conference finals. Malone is joining the ESPN broadcasting team for the series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Minnesota Timberwolves, the network announced Monday.

Malone, 53, will appear on "NBA Countdown" for the pregame and halftime portions of the broadcast. He'll be on-site with the usual ESPN crew, which includes Malika Andrews, Stephen A. Smith and Shams Charania, among others.

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It will mark the first time Malone has been involved with the NBA since he was surprisingly fired by the Nuggets with just three games left in the regular season. The Nuggets elevated assistant David Adelman as their interim head coach.

Adelman performed well in his brief stint running the team. The Nuggets pushed the Thunder all the way to a Game 7 in the second round of the playoffs. Denver fell short in that contest Sunday, and were eliminated from the postseason. Following the game, a number of players expressed support for elevating Adelman into the full-time role.

With his former franchise no longer in the running, Malone will apply his coaching expertise to the Thunder and Timberwolves. He should be plenty familiar with both franchises, though has more recent experience with the Timberwolves. The Nuggets played the team twice in the playoffs in each of the past two seasons. The Nuggets came out on top in 2023 and rode that momentum all the way to a championship. The Timberwolves got the best of Denver in 2024, however, beating Malone's Nuggets in seven games.

Malone had mixed success against the Thunder during his coaching career, going 21-22 in 43 games against Oklahoma City. But that figure is dragged down by Malone's time with the Sacramento Kings, where he went 0-5 vs. Oklahoma City.

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Prior to his firing, Malone experienced plenty of success with the Nuggets. He compiled a 471-327 record in 10 seasons with the franchise, good for a .590 winning percentage. The Nuggets made the playoffs in each of the past six seasons under Malone, winning the NBA championship during the 2022-23 season.

Given that success, Malone should draw interest for head-coaching jobs in the offseason. Malone's knowledge and familiarity with the league could make him an excellent commentator during the Western Conference finals, but it's also an opportunity for him to put himself out there and remind coach-needy teams that he's looking for work.