Steve Kerr and Stephen Curry are set to hit free agency at the same time. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Steve Kerr has a new deal, and it definitely pays him the like the architect of a dynasty.
The Golden State Warriors head coach has agreed to a two-year, $35 million contract extension, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The deal will make him the highest-paid coach in NBA history.
At $17.5 million per season, Kerr will receive a salary higher than all but five of the Warriors’ players this season.
The deal comes in Kerr’s 10th season as Warriors head coach, and two years since his most recent NBA championship. The luster has faded for the Warriors’ core in the years since, though, with the team currently holding a 28-26 record and 10th place in the Western Conference.
Stephen Curry has continued to look like an elite player and the best shooter in NBA history, but Klay Thompson was recently demoted from the starting lineup while Draymond Green hasn’t exactly been a consistent presence this season. Players who were supposed to supplement that trio as they age, like Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga, simply haven’t been what the Warriors need to remain a Western Conference power.
Are the Warriors setting Steve Kerr and Stephen Curry up for a last dance?
Clearly, the Warriors are still willing to pay the 58-year-old Kerr like he can lead them to another championship. However, the two-year deal also happens to line up with the end of Curry’s current contract, with both player and coach set to become free agents in 2026.
That figures to make the next two seasons pivotal for the Warriors, with the change to either evolve back into a true contender or provide a clean break from the franchise’s golden era. Green’s contract goes up to that point too, with a player option for 2026-27, while Thompson is a free agent this summer.
Kerr was previously the NBA’s fourth-highest paid head coach, behind Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs ($16 million), Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat ($15 million) and Monty Williams of the Detroit Pistons ($13.1 million). Williams’ deal was the first of those to be signed, and has proven to be a market-resetter for the NBA’s top coaches.
Kerr holds a 765-501 record as a head coach, with four championships, six Finals appearances and an NBA Coach of the Year award in 2016. He also has five rings from his playing days.
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