After a handful of weeks of speculation, the Golden State Warriors wasted no time keeping the crew together by re-signing head coach Steve Kerr to a two-year deal and making him the NBA’s highest-paid at his position.
There was plenty of doubt as to whether Kerr would return to the Warriors after their play-in defeat sparked conversation of change. It was another difficult season for the team, limping to a 37-45 record and the 10th seed in the West.
The season was not without issues, and many of them aren’t entirely on Steve Kerr. Jimmy Butler, last season’s key acquisition, only played 38 games before suffering a season-ending injury.
Stephen Curry, the best player on the team and still the best shooter in the NBA, only played 43 games. Both those facts hurt the Warriors on both ends of the court, especially when competing in a brutal Western Conference.
However, Kerr does deserve some blame, and that will be the start of why we believe his new two-year deal is a mistake. Kerr exiled Jonathan Kuminga, and while the 23-year-old hasn’t taken off in Atlanta just yet, that’s wasted potential when the Warriors were forced to trade him for a hobbled Kristaps Porzingis.
Not to mention, the Warriors ranked a subpar 22nd in offense (scoring 114.6 PPG) and only 14th in defense (allowing 115.2 PPG). While injuries hurt, a lot of that has to be aimed at the head of the bench.
While we are happy that Kerr keeps an NBA job, because he is an iconic coach who is a major driver behind the Warriors’ dynasty, we feel his two-year contract was not the best move, and here are the four reasons why.
Holding Onto The Past Hurts The Future
The hardest thing for great organizations to do is admit the dynasty years are over. The Warriors are still operating like it’s 2017, hoping the magic can somehow reappear.
But the NBA doesn’t work like that. The league is younger, faster, more athletic, and far more aggressive than it was during Golden State’s peak years.
That does not erase Kerr’s greatness. He helped change basketball forever with an offensive system that almost every NBA team employs today. But every era comes to an end.
The Warriors desperately needed fresh ideas for the betterment of the franchise. Just look around the league right now.
The Spurs moved forward after Gregg Popovich stepped aside and immediately unlocked another level under Mitch Johnson. Johnson adapted to the current NBA, and it shows with their incredible 62-win season in 2025-26.
Golden State chose being safe. There is safety in keeping Kerr around because ownership knows exactly what he represents. The Warriors had a chance to reset the culture and direction of the team, and instead, they doubled down on the past.
The Roster Isn’t Constructed To Compete In The West
Bringing Kerr back likely means the Warriors are fully committed to running this group back one more time, and that is where the problem starts.
Stephen Curry is 38 years old and appeared 43 times this season. Jimmy Butler has become increasingly injury-prone after playing only 38 games, averaging 20.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 4.9 APG at 36 years old.
Draymond Green is still impactful defensively (8.4 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 5.5 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.6 BPG), but the physical wear is obvious, and his own future could be in the air. This core has accomplished everything, and asking them to run it back yet again means finding juice that might not be there anymore.
This is especially true in the Western Conference. The Thunder have become the standard of modern basketball. The Spurs suddenly look terrifying with Victor Wembanyama leading a young roster that already plays with maturity beyond its years.
Minnesota continues to overwhelm teams at an athletic level. Denver still has championship-level talent around Nikola Jokic. Houston’s young core keeps improving. And if the Lakers are healthy with Luka Doncic fully integrated next season, they are going to be a serious problem again.
That is what makes Golden State’s direction so confusing. This was a 10th-seeded team (37-45 record) that struggled all year to consistently score, defend, and stay healthy.
Injuries absolutely played a role, but the Warriors were not one healthy stretch away from becoming favorites. They looked old against younger teams.
Keeping Kerr sends a message that the organization still believes this group has another miracle run left in it. The West is simply too tough to stand still while everybody else evolves around you.
Kerr Doesn’t Have The Same Aura That Once Delivered Rings
Steve Kerr is still one of the greatest coaches the NBA has ever seen. That should never be debated, and make no mistake, there is no dynasty without him.
But there were too many moments this past season where Kerr simply did not feel ahead of the curve anymore. His rotations became constant talking points.
Younger players struggled to gain trust. The offense stalled for long stretches, and it looked bad with an 18th offensive rating (115.0) that averaged only 114.6 PPG (22nd in NBA).
The Jonathan Kuminga situation especially stands out because it symbolized a bigger issue. Kuminga was far from a finished product, averaging 12.1 PPG and 5.9 RPG with the Warriors this season, but the team never fully committed to developing him through mistakes.
Instead, it often felt like Kerr became frustrated with his flaws instead of helping him grow. Young players need confidence from their coaches, especially explosive athletes with raw potential.
Golden State never found that balance with Kuminga, and now he is gone while the Warriors are left trying to squeeze more years out of aging veterans.
Kerr is still respected across the league, but respect alone does not win playoff games anymore.
His Curry-Centric Offense Won’t Work In 2027
The Warriors’ offense has revolved around Stephen Curry for over a decade, and understandably so. When you have the greatest shooter in basketball history, you build everything around him. Curry was effective this season, averaging 26.6 PPG and 4.7 APG on 46.8% from the field, 39.3% from deep, and 92.3% from the stripe.
Yes, Curry is still lethal, but asking him to carry this kind of offensive burden at 38 years old is a massive gamble. The league today is relentless physically. Over an 82-game season plus potential play-in games, it becomes incredibly difficult to sustain that style without another dynamic offensive engine beside him.
Golden State still too often looks like a team waiting for Curry magic to save their possessions. That is partly why the Kuminga situation became so frustrating.
The Warriors desperately needed another athletic creator who could pressure the rim and generate offense differently from Curry’s motion-heavy system. Instead of evolving the offense to fit modern roster realities, Kerr appeared determined to keep everybody functioning within the same structure that once featured a prime Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant.
The reality is simple: the NBA of 2027 will not allow one aging superstar guard to dictate everything offensively for a contender. The best teams now overwhelm opponents with multiple players who can shoot, defend, and run on the break.
Golden State still plays like it can outsmart everybody through execution. That formula worked when Curry was in his absolute prime and the Warriors had overwhelming talent advantages everywhere else. Those days are gone.
If the Warriors continue building around a Curry-centric identity without adapting, they are probably headed for exactly what they have become lately: a play-in team with flashes of what was once the most feared team in the league.
