Calvin Booth and Nuggets still not certain on GM’s future
Feb 6, 2025, 9:22 PM
DENVER — The general manager of the lone title team in Denver Nuggets history, Calvin Booth, is out of contract at season’s end and there’s no indication about the executive’s future.
Booth spoke with the media after Thursday’s NBA Trade Deadline, where the Nuggets stood pat. It comes as criticism rises from the fan base about winning a second championship with three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic in his prime. Denver’s repeat bid fell short in a Game 7 on their home floor last season and now the Nuggets look to be a step behind the league’s top contenders this year.
The Nuggets’ step back comes after the team let starting shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope walk in free agency under the guise of saving money for flexibility. Denver used its assets to trade away Reggie Jackson, draft rookie center DaRon Holmes II, and sign Dario Saric in free agency. All but the last move could have been made while keeping Caldwell-Pope, and given that Saric is out of the rotation, his signing appears to be a mistake. Caldwell-Pope’s exit did make it slightly easier for the Nuggets to extend Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray, which they did this summer.
The moving parts with the Nuggets have resulted with them doing a lot of the hard stuff well in building a core and keeping their big-name players happy. But Booth’s stuff around the edges has left the margin for victory incredibly thin with few ways to improve the roster without drastic change. On top of that, the team is into the first tax apron which comes with payment penalties for ownership and restrictions on roster building.
All of this is to say, is there are reasons Nuggets nation and ownership could be on the fence with Booth, despite he being the one to bring in KCP and Bruce Brown to town—finishing off what he and Tim Connelly started in building the ring-winning roster.
“No, focused on the team right now, I’m focusing on the team and that stuff will take care of itself,” Booth responded to Denver Sports’ question on whether he and KSE brass have talked about an extension.
Calvin Booth and the Nuggets have not yet talked about extending his deal, which expires at season’s end. pic.twitter.com/JiScRjcYL4
— Jake Shapiro (@Shapalicious) February 7, 2025
Booth got the job as the Nuggets lead executive in the summer of 2022 after Conley bolted for Minnesota. Booth has worked for Denver as a high-ranking executive since 2017 when he joined the team’s front office after working his way up in New Orleans and Minnesota. Booth played a decade in the NBA as a big man and is a graduate of Penn State.
