David Adelman's Future as Nuggets Head Coach Is Becoming Clear

The Denver Nuggets finished their 2025-26 regular season with a 54-28 record and in third place in the Western Conference. Despite dealing with a slew of significant injuries, they ended the regular season on a 12-game winning streak, and things were trending in the right direction.

However, they were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs, and regardless of their regular season success, that could be enough to cause major changes. The most suggested change in Denver comes at the head coach position, as many fans are calling for the franchise to move on from David Adelman after just one season.

Even though there is some speculation, Adelman seems to be staying put as Denver's head coach. Nuggets insider Bennett Durando of The Denver Post reported that Adelman is expected to return for a second season.

"Despite chatter that Adelman may already be on the hot seat one year into his tenure, the immediate sense within the organization is that he’ll be back for a second season. Before wiping out in the playoffs, he led the Nuggets to 54 wins in a regular season that forced him to use 28 different starting lineups due to various injuries," Durando reported.

Adelman returning to Denver?

Apr 8, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman looks on in the second quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Ball Arena. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Adelman took the mantle as the Nuggets' interim head coach when the franchise fired Michael Malone with just three games left in the 2024-25 regular season. In his first postseason in that position, he led the Nuggets to a second-round exit. This year, they were knocked out in the first round. How much of that blame falls on Adelman?

While the Nuggets won 54 games this season, it was a total mess. Granted, injuries took control of their season, as they had 28 unique starting lineups through 82 games, but they did not have many moments that suggested they were a legitimate title contender. Of course, having the league's 21st-ranked defense is a huge weakness, but the top-overall offense nearly made up for it.

David Adelman reflecting on the season as a whole:

“…I’m the head coach, I take responsibility for things that didn’t go well here…”
— Brendan Vogt (@BrendanVogt) May 1, 2026

The real question becomes, if the Nuggets decided to let go of Adelman, are there better options out there? Giving Adelman, the son of legendary coach Rick, another season to prove himself is likely the best option.

Would Nikola Jokic and company want to adjust to a different head coach and entirely new system for the second straight year? Probably not. Letting Adelman grow more comfortable and get more adjusted to being an NBA head coach will likely yield better results next year, especially since it is hard to place the blame for their first-round playoff exit on him.

After their season-ending loss, Jokic was quick to defend Adelman.

"It’s not his fault we couldn’t rebound. It’s not his fault we couldn’t catch the ball very well. There is nothing to blame David Adelman. It’s all us," Jokic said.

Nikola Jokic on Nuggets coach David Adelman: “It’s not his fault we couldn’t rebound. It’s not his fault we couldn’t catch the ball very well. There is nothing to blame David Adelman. It’s all us.” pic.twitter.com/gnTnvBQrJ9
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 1, 2026

Could Adelman have made better adjustments during the playoffs? Sure. But as a team, the Nuggets shot abnormally poorly. The Nuggets putting more focus toward roster changes than a head coaching change is certainly the best decision, as there is reason to believe Adelman can still lead this team to a deeper playoff run in the future.

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