Steve Kerr sat down with Golden State governor/controlling owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy, but the trio did not reach a decision on the coach’s future.
They are set to meet again next week, according to a report from Shams Charania, Ramona Shelburne and Anthony Slater of ESPN. Both sides said the meeting was “productive” but that there is no rush to make a decision, according to the report.
While Kerr hinted he is leaning toward stepping away after a dozen seasons and four rings at the helm of the Warriors, he also is torn about leaving Stephen Curry and Draymond Green at this point in their careers.
“I hope he’s our coach next year. You want my opinion? I think not,” Green said after the season. “Just because it just feels like that. It felt like that was it. I also hope I’m on this team next year, we also don’t know that. And man, if it was, what a run it’s been. So lucky to have had for 12 years Steve as my coach.”
If Kerr comes back, the suggestion is that Dunleavy wants to evolve the Warriors’ style of play — this isn’t 2016 anymore. The Warriors thrived at their peak playing “small” with Green able to defend centers. While Green is still playing at a high level, the league has changed — teams have gotten bigger but maintained their athleticism and shooting (think Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren). This Warriors team is older.
Also part of the decision is whether the Warriors start to pivot toward a younger roster or go all in to make one more deep run in the Curry era. The Warriors have a 9.4% chance of landing a top-four pick in next month’s NBA Draft Lottery. Get lucky on that front, and it starts to change what the team’s plans may be going forward — which could impact Kerr. He’s not the guy they want to handle a team starting to rebuild.
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