Nuggets name Ben Tenzer interim GM ahead of playoffs

Tenzer, who first joined the Nuggets’ front office during the 2012-13 season, was promoted to vice president of basketball operations ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. He will assume day-to-day responsibilities as the organization begins its search for a permanent general manager.

The move comes after the Nuggets parted ways with Calvin Booth, who was in the final year of his contract. Booth had anticipated signing an extension, but the two sides were unable to reach an agreement.

Until Monday, Kroenke had been serving as the team’s interim GM. 

Denver, which won its first NBA title in 2023, is gearing up for the playoffs after firing both Booth and head coach Michael Malone with less than a week left in the regular season. The Nuggets are seeded fourth in the Western Conference and face the fifth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers in the first round. Game 1 is set for Saturday in Denver at 6 p.m. EST.

Malone was replaced by interim coach David Adelman.

Multiple reports indicated Booth and Malone were at odds, leading to Kroenke’s decision to fire both at the same time.

Along with that, Tony Jones and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that Malone’s choice to continue supporting Russell Westbrook led to a loss of credibility among Nuggets players.

“All the while, Malone’s choice to continue supporting Westbrook, despite the frustration he was causing on and off the floor, led to a loss of credibility among the team’s key players,” Jones and Amick wrote. “It was one thing when Malone handled Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray with more leniency than the rest of their group, but affording Westbrook that sort of treatment, even with his Hall of Fame credentials, wasn’t received well by some.

“That dynamic intensified recently, starting with Westbrook’s meltdown against Minnesota on April 1 in which his late-game blunders cost Denver the win and spoiled Jokić’s 60-point triple-double. After a brutal Jokic turnover late in a loss to Indiana on Sunday, when he and Westbrook miscommunicated up top and the big man’s pass flew out of bounds, Malone defended his veteran point guard in a way that was seen by some as a shot at the team’s young talents.”

(Photo courtesy DNVR Sports/Screengrab)