Nuggets fire Malone - Next for Denver's playoffs, Jokic's future - ESPN

The Denver Nuggets shocked the NBA world by firing head coach Michael Malone and announcing they would not extend the contract of general manager Calvin Booth on Tuesday, with just six days left in the regular season. The Nuggets are only two years removed from winning the NBA championship and are currently in fourth place in the Western Conference.

But after a four-game losing streak, Denver is now just a half-game above the logjam of four teams that are currently tied for fifth. ESPN's Basketball Power Index gives the Nuggets a 46.9% chance of falling into the play-in tournament.

With a closing schedule that includes road games at the Sacramento Kings and Houston Rockets, sandwiched around a home date with the Memphis Grizzlies — who also made a recent surprising coaching change, firing Taylor Jenkins on March 28 — the Nuggets will be hard-pressed to hold on to their playoff spot in the wild Western Conference postseason race.

Our NBA insiders answer the big questions about these moves, including what it means for Denver's playoff hopes and the future of three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.

Ohm Youngmisuk: Shocking but not totally blindsiding. Change was probably inevitable, but the timing was a massive surprise. Tension had been brewing between Malone and Booth for quite some time, so much so that sources described it as a «cold war.» Denver has lost four straight and is just 11-13 since the All-Star break. Players such as Jokic have displayed frustration on the sideline. Vibes have been low, according to sources. And ownership believed it was time to move on from both men just days before the end of the regular season to give the team a jolt ahead of a postseason run with the best player in the world.

Bobby Marks: Stunning.