NBA legend Paul Pierce raises doubts on Nikola Jokic's future after Denver sacks Michael Malone

The Denver Nuggets executives made the surprising decision to part ways with head coach Michael Malone just before the NBA playoffs. This decision, which also included the firing of General Manager Calvin Booth, caught many in the league off guard, with even the Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce questioning the future of Nikola Jokic.

“I wouldn’t be shocked if Joker demands a trade this summer,” Pierce said on Speak, suggesting that the Serbian center is likely dissatisfied with how the franchise handled the situation. “You’re wasting one of the greatest players of this generation. You’re wasting his prime now.”

The 2008 NBA champion with the Boston Celtics then made it clear how he felt about the timing of Malone‘s firing, just three games before the end of the regular season. “It just tells me Denver is not serious. Since they won a championship, they failed to re-sign the players that they had to help them win the championship,” he explained.

“They could have waited until after the season to do this. If the players had an issue with Mike Malone, cool. You dealt with it this long. You could have dealt with it a few more weeks,” Pierce said. “And so I just don’t get it.”

Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce.

Pierce believes Malone’s exit will affect the Nuggets’ playoff chances

In the same conversation, Paul Pierce analyzed the near future of the Denver Nuggets following the decision to fire Michael Malone. “This is just telling me that the Nuggets, by firing their coach a week before the playoffs, this does not give them their best chance to win the championship,” he said.

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“How do you go into the playoffs with a focus like, ‘Hey guys, we’re going to talk about winning a championship,’ where now for the next week or two, they’re going to be talking about the firing of the coach in the locker room,” Pierce continued. “How are you going to be focused on winning the playoffs when that’s going to be a subject of every conversation from here on out? I just don’t get it. This is more going to be a distraction.”

The Nuggets have yet to secure their spot in the playoffs

The Denver Nuggets have only three games left in the 2024-25 NBA regular season. On Wednesday, they will visit the Sacramento Kings, on Friday they will face the Memphis Grizzlies, and they will finish the campaign on Sunday against the Houston Rockets in Texas.

Despite spending most of the year in direct playoff contention, the Nuggets now find themselves in a precarious position. They are tied with the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, and Memphis Grizzlies with a record of 47-32, while the Minnesota Timberwolves are slightly behind at 46-33. The coming days will be crucial for them, especially amid this unexpected turmoil surrounding Malone’s departure.