SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is entering the final season of his current contract, the typical time in a contract cycle when established NBA coaches demand or at least discuss an extension.
But that isn’t Kerr’s current plan, he said on Tuesday afternoon after the team’s first practice of the season. He has no issue letting his contract expire before cementing his future.
“I’m very comfortable going into the season with a year left,” Kerr said. “I’m so aligned with [general manager] Mike [Dunleavy] and [owner] Joe [Lacob]. We talked about this — there’s no reason for discussion or concern. This is kind of a point in our relationship where let’s just see how it is at the end of the year.”
The Warriors’ three star players — Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler III and Draymond Green, who are 37, 35 and 35, respectively — all have two years remaining on their current contracts. That’s an alignment that Curry has called beneficial, allowing them to focus on a two-year window for another title.
There’s been some internal wonder whether Kerr would push to get his contract lined up with his three stars. He is entering his 12th season coaching Curry, Green and the Warriors and, sources said, remains the preferred head coach for both of his longtime stars. They’ve won four titles together.
But Kerr said he is feeling no urgency to get any security beyond this season.
“I love my job,” Kerr said. “I love what I’m doing every day. I can’t wait to get to the building. Hopefully I’m here for another few years. But I think it makes sense for the organization and for me to see where this thing is at the end of the year — where they are and where I am. Hopefully that means we run it back, we keep going with this group, that’d be awesome. But I like the fact we can do it how we want it.”
Kerr entered the 2023-24 regular season on a similar expiring deal, but there were significant negotiations ongoing behind the scenes. Kerr signed a record two-year, $35 million extension in February of that season.
That’s not the plan this time around.
“I don’t anticipate any negotiation during the season,” Kerr said. “Who knows — maybe it all comes up at some point, and they come to me. 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 [to wait].”
Wrapped within Kerr’s transparent discussion of his expiring contract was a clear acknowledgement that the end of this golden era of Warriors basketball is nearing, and he intends to walk away gracefully.
“However this ends it’s going to be done in a really quality way,” Kerr said. “It’s going to happen the right way. If it’s meant for me to keep going, I’m going to keep going. If it’s meant to be for the team to move on to someone else, there will be nothing but gratitude and appreciation. This makes it easy for everybody. Let’s see where we are at the end of the year.”
