Malone compiled a 39-67 record in 106 games with the Sacramento Kings before being fired in December, but he got the job over other candidates like David Vanterpool, Mike D'Antoni, Don Newman and Mike Woodson, who were all linked to the position. Melvin Hunt, who served as the interim head coach, was also in the mix. 

Hunt took over the Nuggets after the franchise fired Brian Shaw in March. The 45-year-old had a 10-13 record in 23 games to close the season, which isn't impressive on its own, but the team was 20-39 before he took over. That performance was not enough to secure the job on a full-time basis.

Marc Stein of ESPN reported on June 7 that Malone had secured a second interview for the Nuggets' head-coaching vacancy.

The Nuggets haven't had much success over the last two years, winning 66 total games during that stretch, but the cupboard is hardly bare. This should be an appealing job for a lot of candidates, though the front office shouldn't be in a hurry to make a decision it doesn't believe in 100 percent.