The Denver Nuggets are continuing their offseason coaching staff rebuild, adding Chase Buford as an assistant coach. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype was first to report the move.
Buford arrives in Denver after serving as an assistant at Kansas during the 2024–25 college season. Before that, he was the head coach of the Sydney Kings in Australia’s NBL from 2021 to 2023, leading the franchise to back-to-back championships.
His coaching path began in the NBA G League, where he worked as an assistant with the Erie BayHawks (2017–18) and Delaware Blue Coats (2018–19). He later became head coach of the Wisconsin Herd, the Milwaukee Bucks’ affiliate, from 2019 to 2021.
Buford’s addition comes during a major transition for Denver. The 2025–26 campaign will be the Nuggets’ 50th season in the NBA and their first without Michael Malone since 2014. Malone was dismissed in April, and longtime assistant David Adelman was promoted to head coach in May.
The Nuggets’ bench now includes J.J. Barea, John Beckett, Rodney Billups, Ryan Bowen, Jared Dudley, Mike Moser, Ognjen Stojakovic, Elvis Valcarcel, and Buford.
Denver’s offseason also featured roster changes. The front office traded Michael Porter Jr. to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Cameron Johnson and acquired Jonas Valanciunas from the Sacramento Kings. Veterans Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. were also signed to strengthen the rotation around Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.
