The walls inside the Denver Nuggets organization were crumbling long before the hammer came down. Now, the front office shake-up has spilled into public view. Hours after being fired in a stunning double-exit alongside head coach Michael Malone, former general manager Calvin Booth has finally broken his silence.
With rumors swirling about locker room divides and months of internal tension, Booth’s words cut through the noise to add fuel to an already explosive story.
Booth Speaks Out For the First Time After His Denver Exit
In his first public comment since being fired, Booth kept it short but powerful.
“I don’t have any regrets. I did my job to the best of my ability,” Booth said on Tuesday, April 7, after the Nuggets let him go.
The 48-year-old had been part of the Nuggets’ front office since 2017 and was promoted to general manager in 2020. At one point earlier this season, Booth was reportedly close to signing an extension, but that offer was eventually pulled back.
Following his dismissal, multiple reports confirmed a long-standing rift between Booth and head coach Michael Malone, who was also fired on the same day.
NBA insider Kevin O’Connor didn’t mince words: “Booth and Malone never liked each other, rarely spoke, and talked behind each other’s backs. With the team struggling on the court, Nuggets ownership decided to fire both,” he write on X.
Ramona Shelburne added, “This situation in Denver has been tense and pressurized since the beginning of the year. Both Malone and Booth had big ideas and strong wills. Now both are out…”
Booth’s Exit Ripped Open Nuggets’ Front Office Turmoil
Sources say the conflict wasn’t just personal, it impacted the locker room. According to The DNVR’s Harrison Wind, the Booth-Malone feud had bled into the team.
“You’ve got the Calvin Booth–Michael Malone conflict, which has been a real thing. I’ve even heard that it has bled over to the locker room. It’s gotten to a place where players are torn in that two-sided thing,” Wind reported.
Booth pushed for Denver’s young players like Jalen Pickett to get more minutes. Malone stayed loyal to his veterans. That split the locker room and built frustration from the front office to the court.
After winning the 2023 title, the Nuggets lost key defensive pieces like Bruce Brown and Jeff Green. This past offseason, they watched Kentavious Caldwell-Pope leave in free agency. Booth’s answer was Russell Westbrook but in 2025, it wasn’t enough.
The low point came in December, when Denver lost 122–113 to the league-worst Washington Wizards. That’s when the cracks became undeniable and things spiraled to the point of no return.
Booth, a former journeyman player who suited up for seven NBA teams, started his front-office career in 2012. He joined Denver as assistant GM in 2017 and helped build the roster that won it all in 2023.
Now, with a 47-32 record and three crucial games left, the Nuggets are scrambling under a new, unproven head coach. The Booth-Malone era is officially over, but its fallout may linger for a long time.
