Denver Isn’t Firing David Adelman. But His Coaching Staff Is About to Look Very Different.

The Denver Nuggets aren’t blowing up their coaching staff the way some fans might have expected after a first-round playoff exit. But they are making changes. Just not at the very top.

David Adelman will be back for a second full season as head coach in 2026-27. The team has said as much publicly. According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, however, the Nuggets are actively looking to hire a former NBA head coach as a top assistant. The idea is to add some veteran experience to Adelman’s bench.

Adelman took over for Michael Malone after last season, and the Nuggets went 54-28. That’s not a bad regular season. But they got bounced by the Minnesota Timberwolves in six games during the first round. For a team built around Nikola Jokic in his prime, that stings. And it raised questions about whether Adelman was the right guy to push them back into contention.

For now, Denver’s front office is sticking with him. ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel reported back on May 3 that there was no internal momentum to move on from Adelman. The reasoning was simple: growing pains were expected. He’s a young coach taking over a title-or-bust operation. The organization apparently sees the 54-win season as a foundation, not a red flag.

What a former head coach could bring to Denver

The Nuggets aren’t shopping for just any assistant. They want someone who has already sat in the big chair. A former head coach who can offer perspective, game-planning insight and maybe a little blunt honesty when things go sideways. That kind of addition doesn’t threaten Adelman’s job. It shores up the room.

Plenty of ex-head coaches are floating around the league. Some are waiting for another shot at a top job. Others are content to be lieutenants on competitive teams. Denver’s pitch is straightforward: come help coach Jokic and compete for a title. That tends to get people’s attention.

Who that person ends up being is still unclear. The team hasn’t confirmed any names. But the search is active, and the expectation around the league is that something gets done before training camp.

The Nuggets have a narrow window. Jokic is still the best player on the planet, but the West gets tougher every year. The Timberwolves are young and hungry. Oklahoma City is loaded. Dallas just made the Finals. Denver can’t afford to waste a season figuring things out. Adding a veteran voice to the bench doesn’t fix everything, but it’s a smart move. It’s also the kind of move a franchise makes when it believes in its head coach but knows he needs help.