Report: Michael Malone viewed as ‘obvious’ choice for Spurs if Gregg Popovich steps away

Report: Michael Malone viewed as ‘obvious’ choice for Spurs if Gregg Popovich steps away

After suffering a mild stroke in early November, there has been plenty of speculation about Gregg Popovich’s future with the San Antonio Spurs.

Popovich, 76, is one of the most respected voices in the NBA. He signed a five-year extension ahead of last season that made him the highest-paid coach in the NBA at the time. As long as he wants to coach, he likely will–but his recent health struggles may preclude him from doing so.

He’s not returning to the sidelines this season, as interim Mitch Johnson has coached all but five games, going 30-44 with the third-worst record in the Western Conference.

However, the Denver Nuggets, currently fighting for homecourt in the Western Conference, cleaned house Tuesday by parting ways with head coach Michael Malone, the winningest coach in franchise history. While Malone was never in the Popovich coaching tree, the former longtime Nuggets head coach is viewed as a clear choice to replace Popovich, should he decide to step away, according to Clutch Points’ Brett Siegel.

“In the event that Popovich doesn’t return to the sidelines for the Spurs, Malone would be the obvious choice for this organization,” Siegel wrote Wednesday. “His experience in this league speaks for itself, and he was a key factor in unlocking Jokic’s MVP potential. Going from coaching Jokic to possibly coaching Victor Wembanyama, who will likely win at least one MVP award in his career, would make a ton of sense.

“Malone’s future is unknown at this time. He could opt to take a year to himself to reflect on his future, and it’s also possible that he takes a step back to become an assistant coach. All options are on the table for Malone, who has become the best coach available in quite some time heading into the offseason.

“As long as Popovich wants to coach, he will be on the sidelines in San Antonio. Whether or not his health allows him to continue the job he’s held since 1996 in San Antonio is a completely different question that will need to be addressed in the offseason.”

Malone, 53, is arguably one of the best coaches in the NBA and helped see the growth of three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon, among others. The Nuggets won their first-ever NBA Title in 2023 with plenty of depth and two-way versatility–which they have since lost over the last two seasons despite being one of the NBA’s top offenses behind Jokic’s dominance.

Assuming Popovich doesn’t return, the Spurs, hypothetically, have other viable options outside of Malone. Mike Brown and Taylor Jenkins were both fired by their respected teams; assistants such as Sam Cassell, Micah Nori and Jeff Van Gundy, who recently returned to the sidelines and is engineering a top-5 defense in the NBA in Los Angeles, could also be names considered.

There will be other jobs that inevitably open up. Though San Antonio’s is expected to be one of the most desirable (when it does, of course). Anyone would be lucky to coach Victor Wembanyama–as well as De’Aaron Fox and Rookie of the Year frontrunner Stephon Castle.

It’s a wait-and-see for everyone around the league. Malone will have options (as long as Calvin Booth‘s not there), that’s for sure.

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