What a chaotic and complicated season it’s been for the Denver Nuggets.
Now that the dust is settling after their elimination from the playoffs, the team’s front office can get to work at plotting a path forward, including finding a new head coach.
According to Tim MacMahon, a frontrunner has emerged.
MacMahon reported, via Yahoo Sports, that interim coach David Adelman is currently “considered a strong candidate to be promoted to head coach permanently.”
This would be a huge move for Adelman and a true sign that he has the loyalty of the team’s ownership and its players.
Nuggets interim coach David Adelman is considered a strong candidate to be promoted to head coach permanently, per @espn_macmahon. pic.twitter.com/BMa5O4reuc
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 19, 2025
The last few weeks have been a whirlwind for Adelman.
He had been with the Nuggets for years as an assistant coach before being put into the big chair this season after the shocking and sudden firing of Michael Malone.
Adelman was brought in as interim coach at possibly the worst time, with so much on the line and a lot to prove.
When he was promoted, some people thought he wouldn’t be there for long.
They envisioned Adelman working as head coach through the playoffs and then being replaced in the summer by someone with a more seasoned resume.
But the Nuggets did better than some people expected, earning a 7-7 record in the playoffs this year and recently battling hard against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals.
That seems to have been enough to earn Adelman the job full-time.
Players like Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon have publicly said how much they like playing for Adelman, which surely helps his cause.
Although other candidates could emerge in the next few weeks, it looks like Adelman is here to stay in Denver.
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