One man’s pain is another man’s party—and that pretty much sums up what’s going down in Denver right now. After a decade-long run and a championship ring from 2023, the Nuggets just dropped a bomb by firing Mike Malone—the winningest coach in franchise history. Yep, they actually pulled the plug on the guy who helped deliver their first title. And as if that wasn’t enough drama before the playoffs, word on the street is that Denver hasn’t even locked in Nikola Jokic’s future yet. That’s right—the Joker’s next chapter might not be in Colorado at all. But let’s look at Michael Malone first. No points for guessing which franchise will be watching at his firing most closely.

Back in the 2022-23 season, a lot happened between the Nuggets, read Michael Malone, and the Los Angeles Lakers. At the Western Conference Finals that season, the Nuggets had a clean sweep over the Lakers. But Malone thought that it was the Lakers who got the undue attention rather than the Nuggets. After the Nuggets went 2-0 up in the series, Malone did not step back from calling out, “The national narrative [after Game 1] was that the Lakers were fine,” he had said. “No one talked about Nikola having a historic performance. The narrative wasn’t about the Nuggets. The narrative wasn’t about Nikola. … You put that in your pipe and smoke it. You go up 2-0.”

Malone once again took a dig at the Lakers after securing the championship, accusing the Purple and Gold of snatching away the airtime. For context, after the loss to the Nuggets at the Western Conference finals, LeBron James suddenly cracked a conversation about his retirement, and that became a focal point of conversation at that moment. But the highlight moment of this rivalry probably came at the Nuggets Championship parade when Malone was introduced as “the Lakers’ daddy” by Vic Lombardi. “He came into this world as the son of a coach, but in these playoffs, he became the Lakers daddy!” Lombardi had said. And why not?

Even in the matchups, Denver’s had the upper hand for a while now. They’ve taken 14 of the last 17 meetings against LA. Not to forget a brutal run of seven straight in the playoffs. So when one of the key pieces of these triumphs is out, it indeed is a reason to celebrate, and so did Gilbert Arenas. The former Warriors star celebrated as if it was the title parade day all over again.

In his Instagram post, the Arenas added the following caption and proclaimed another banner for the Purple and Gold. “When u realize @nuggets Just Gave @lakers they 18th Ring 🫡 🗣️Its a Celebration 😂 #lakernation💜💛 #kelseplumCigar #kingsmakerscigar #MikeMaloneSEEya.” In the video, Agent Zero donned the Lakers jacket, had a wine bottle in one hand and Kelsey Plum’s cigar in the other. He even mocked former Nuggets star and Arenas crew member Kenyon Martin.

“I can’t help when is the parade. Can we just have a parade? Kenyon, I’ll invite you, man you can ride on my boat. I’m going to have a boat in the back on the freeway. We’re going to boat water jacuzzi everything.” Martin even asked the reason for this celebration. Gilbert Arenas simply stated, “Yeah, they retired the coach.” A big part of Gilbert Arenas’ celebration? The timing of the Nuggets’ meltdown. Let’s be real—firing your head coach right before the playoffs is like pulling the plug on your GPS mid-road trip. It’s chaos. Add to that the superstars of the team with injury concerns.

Jamal Murray’s nursing a hamstring, Jokic is pushing through ankle issues, and now no Mike Malone to steer the ship. It’s the kind of messy shake-up that instantly knocks a team down a few notches in the title race. So yeah, if you’re a Nuggets fan, this isn’t the news you wanted. But if you’re Gilbert Arenas or a Lakers die-hard? You’re probably popping popcorn and watching the chaos unfold with a smirk.

“@kingjames About Got damn Time we Gonna get by Denver 🫡 Chip City On the way 💯#lakernation,” Arenas wrote on Threads. Amd this entire coaching drama, if there is anything that is making the matter even more tricky is the talk around Nikola Jokic and his potential move to the Lakers, of all teams. Bovada has projected the Lakers as +500 favorites to become Jokic’s next team. This was right after the front office changes at the Denver Nuggets that also saw general manager Calvin Booth depart. And well, it is not without a reason.

Looks like Luka Doncic has something to do in this widespread speculation of Jokic coming to LA. The pair is known to be good friends despite never playing for the same franchise. In fact, during this year’s all-star game Jokic had joked that it feels weird without Luka. Hold one, there are more direct talks.

After the 2024 All-star game, Jokic was asked about playing with Luka in the same team ever. The reigning MVP was pretty straight forward. “I don’t know if it’s possible. I don’t want to leave Denver. I like it here, and it’s a great organization. If Luka gets pissed off in Dallas, then he can come.” Guess is yours! But is it a realistic idea that Jokic might land in LA?

As things stand, the Lakers does not look to have the capital it takes to snatch someone of Jokic’s caliber. LeBron James’ departure seems out of question. A swap between Luka and Jokic may look a level play, but at this point, such a possibly is extremely less. Moreover, right now, the Lakers only have 2031 first-round pick as the only unprotected first-round selection. But that is obviously not enough for a deal of this magnitude. Plus, with Jokic himself declaring his preference for Denver, the front office shuffles might be the Nuggets’ effort to further their ties with Jokic. But then this is NBA, and Luka-Anthony Davis trade was a fresh reminder that anything is possible. But let’s also not forget that Malone is the only coach Jokic has played to date, and he had a good relationship with him too.

Will Mike Malone’s firing be the trigger for Nikola Jokic’s move?

For 10 seasons, Michael Malone was at the helm and had a (510-394) record. He also brought Denver its first-ever championship in 2023. Just a month before, the then coach criticized his players for the lack of effort as they couldn’t build a winning momentum. Currently fourth in the Western Conference, but at 47-32, they are only a half-game ahead of teams tied at fifth. Even the superstar Joker is not happy about the team’s current position.

As per The Athletic, the three-time MVP has grown tired of Denver’s shaky defense. Despite hanging near the top of the West, the Nuggets rank 20th in defensive rating. The team lost Bruce Brown Jr and, later on, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, their two best perimeter defenders. Despite the defensive issues of Mike Malone’s former team, it was Nikola Jokic who continued to perform. His average this month is 45 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 10.7 assists. However, that did not convert into wins every time.

Now, assistant coach David Adelman will serve as the interim coach till the Nuggets find a solution. The Serbian is in the second year of a five-year, $276 million contract he signed with the Nuggets. His 5th year is a player option, so there is a chance that he hits the open market after just two more seasons. But forget about the possible and impossible. For now the Laker Nation has already started seeing Jokic in their vacant center position!