In an off-season marred by contract talks, Steve Kerr has made it clear that there will be no negotiations between him and the Golden State Warriors over his future during the season. Kerr’s two-year, $35 million contract will expire at the end of this season, but the head coach is more concerned about getting the players ready to play.
“I’m very comfortable just going into this season with a year left. I’m so aligned with Mike (Dunleavy) and Joe (Lacob) that you know we talked about this. There’s no reason for discussion or concern. This is a point in our relationship where let’s just see how it is at the end of the year,” Kerr said.
The Warriors are set to begin a crucial year in their championship contention era, which remains open till the time Stephen Curry is their leader. With Jimmy Butler added to the mix from the start this time, Kerr is currently hyper-focused on making the most of the generational talent that they have.
“I love my job, I love what I’m doing every day. Can’t wait to get to the building, and hopefully I’m here for another few years, but it makes sense for the organization, and for me, just to see where this thing is at the end of the year,” he added.
Kerr has become synonymous with the Warriors’ decade of success. His coaching adjustments and dynamic line-ups have set the stage for the Warriors to be the trend setters in this league. But he does not want to bring the extension talk into the season.
“I don’t anticipate any negotiation during the season, and who knows, maybe it all comes up at some point, they could come to me, whatever, but I’m not the slightest bit concerned about it. I don’t think about it, I just think it makes perfect sense for all of us,” the head coach candidly noted.
Just last weekend, Kerr turned 60 and is looking back at his career more than he’s looking ahead. A couple of years ago, when he signed the extension for $17.5 million per year, he became the highest-paid head coach based on annual salary. So whatever goes down this year should have a serious impact on Kerr’s extension.
If the Warriors go for a deep run in the playoffs, he could very well be extended so they have another shot with Curry and Butler next year, and possibly their last shot. In that scenario, it could be a single-year deal.
They would not want to pair the 37-year-old with a new head coach at this stage of his career. So Kerr should be the one to see him off. But if they aren’t able to make the most of this veteran power duo between Curry and Butler, maybe the front office will decide to try out another coach for Curry’s final seasons.
“I’ve said this before, but however this ends, it’s gonna be done in a really quality way. It’s gonna happen the right way. If it’s meant to be for me to keep going, if it’s meant to be for the team to move on to somebody else, there will be nothing but gratitude and appreciation. So, this makes it easy for everybody,” the head coach concluded.
The Warriors are not at the peak they were during their dynasty run. But they still have the potential to shock the West and give Curry that coveted fifth ring he’s after.
