Denver Nuggets fans were quite happy to find out that their team’s upper management has signed Michael Malone to a new lucrative contract extension. As some of us should be aware, Malone is the head coach for Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. He managed to help lead the team to its first championship in franchise history. With the help of Jokic’s elite play, the Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat in the 2023 NBA Finals.
In the modern NBA, coaches are considered quite polarizing figures. They are the ones who are credited most for the successes of a team or blamed the most for its failures. Fans have seen teams move on from several coaches after being unable to acquire the desired result under a particular head coach.
Given the success that the Nuggets saw last season and their impressive start to the 2023-2024 NBA season, it is really no surprise that they decided to keep Malone under their payroll. With that being said, let us take a closer look at the situation and find out how fans feel on the subject.
Can the Denver Nuggets repeat as NBA champions with Michael Malone?
There is no denying that Malone has seen a significant amount of success with the Denver Nuggets. After joining the team back in 2015, he managed to eventually turn them into title contenders in less than a decade. Considering that there are several teams in the league that have never even made the NBA Finals, let alone won a championship, this is quite an impressive feat.
ESPN story on Denver coach Michael Malone agreeing on a lucrative contract extension https://t.co/WQd7oItHTL
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 13, 2023
After the Nuggets started the 2023-2024 NBA season with a record of 8 wins and 2 losses, the Nuggets’ top brass decided that it was time to reward Malone for his efforts and offered him a contract extension that will reportedly make him one of the highest paid coaches across the league.
Although the exact details and numbers behind the contract are yet to be revealed, Nuggets fans believe that their team will be able to turn into a dynasty while being coached by Mike Malone, “The dynasty is being born.”
The dynasty is being born
— Across The Cavs (@AcrossCavs) November 13, 2023
While the official amount that he will be paid has not been made public, it is possible for us to get a rough estimate based on the information that we have been provided.
Who is the highest-paid coach in the NBA?
Despite the fact that his contract details have not been revealed, reports from senior NBA Insiders indicate that Mike Malone will be one of the highest-paid coaches in the league. Thus, let us take a look at the payroll for the best coaches in the league.
Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs is currently the highest-paid coach in the NBA. He is estimated to make around $16 million this season alone. Popovich is followed by Detroit Pistons coach Monty Williams who is earning around $13 million and Steve Kerr with his $9.5 million.
Based on the salaries of the other top coaches in the league, one could opine that Malone signed a 2-year contract worth somewhere around $30 million. That would give him $15 million this season and make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the league.
Unfortunately, most of this is merely speculation until the details surrounding his contract are finally made available to the public. Given the fact that Mike managed to help the Nuggets win a title, he might have been offered an even larger contract than projected.