Nuggets sign coach Michael Malone to multiyear extension

Michael Malone is currently the fifth longest tenured coach in the NBA.

DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets have agreed to a multiyear contract extension with coach Michael Malone.

Terms of the extension announced Wednesday were not released by the team. Malone was under contract through the 2022-23 season.

Over seven years in Denver, Malone has won 309 regular season games, a total that ranks third in franchise history behind only Doug Moe and George Karl. His 20 postseason victories are fourth all-time in team history, and just four away from matching Moe.

Malone guided the Nuggets to the Western Conference finals in 2020 before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers. In that playoff run, the team rallied back from being down 3-1 in two different series.

We have our guy, and he's here to stayhttps://t.co/HwW9vogafa

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) March 23, 2022

This season, Denver is closing in on its fourth straight postseason appearance despite the absence of point guard Jamal Murray (knee) and sharpshooter Michael Porter Jr. (back). The Nuggets have relied heavily on reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic along with a strong supporting cast that includes Aaron Gordon, Will Barton, Monte Morris and Jeff Green.

“This extension is well deserved for Coach Malone and one we are very excited to announce,” Nuggets governor E. Stanley Kroenke said in a statement. “You can easily point to the on-court success that Michael has brought and the improvements the team has made each year under his watch, and you can also point to the selfless, hard-working culture that has developed and grown during his tenure.

“We look forward to Coach Malone continuing on the sidelines as we all work toward our goal of bringing an NBA Championship to the city of Denver.”

Malone’s overall mark with the Nuggets is 309-237.

Before arriving in Denver, he was the head coach for parts of two seasons with Sacramento. He went 39-67 with the Kings.