Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr met with owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy on Monday for two hours to discuss his future with the franchise, according to multiple reports on Wednesday.
The meeting was productive, according to reports, despite many hurdles still to sort out. The three men will reportedly meet again next week.
Kerr is not under contract for next season. He has been Golden State’s coach for 12 seasons and has guided the franchise to four NBA titles (2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022). He has a 604-353 (.631) regular-season record.
However, the Warriors missed the playoffs this season when they lost a play-in game against the Phoenix Suns. It is the second time in three seasons that the team didn’t make the playoff field.
Also, the Warriors were 37-45 to finish below .500 for just the second time in Kerr’s tenure.
When Golden State was eliminated earlier this month, the 60-year-old Kerr understood it might have been his last game as coach.
“I still love coaching, but I get it,” Kerr told reporters. “These jobs all have an expiration date. There is a run that happens, and when the run ends, sometimes it’s time for new blood and new ideas.”
Adding to the situation is that longtime stalwarts Stephen Curry and Draymond Green may not want to go into a rebuilding or reloading phase under a new head coach.
Perhaps another element is Kerr’s penchant for speaking out on touchy political situations, typically expressed with the franchise banner and logo right behind him.
SF Gate reported last week that top-level members of the organization have not been happy with Kerr’s repeated comments — which include criticisms of President Donald Trump. The report said Kerr’s continued verbal attacks have caused “internal frustration.”
