With less than half a season left in his current coaching contract, Steve Kerr has finally agreed to a contract extension with the Warriors. The terms: Two years, $35 million, team sources confirmed late Friday evening. ESPN was first to report the deal.
Kerr is in his 10th season coaching the Warriors and has won four titles. He is the third-oldest coach in the NBA, behind only Erik Spoelstra and Gregg Popovich. This contract makes him the second-highest paid coach per season ($17.5 million), trailing only Popovich.
The shortened length is noteworthy. Kerr's contract is now exactly the same as Steph Curry's deal. Curry has two years and $115.3 million remaining after this season. He will be 38 years old when it expires. Kerr's extension prepares him to weather the Curry era as the Warriors try to reposition themselves as title contenders before the window closes.
There was never much doubt that this deal would ultimately go through. Majority owner Joe Lacob has maintained public and private confidence in Kerr and assurances that he would pay what it takes to keep him. Kerr insisted he wanted to stay and showed no signs of coaching burnout. He will also coach Team USA in the Olympics this summer. Curry is expected to take part in Paris.
The Warriors have endured a tumultuous season marked by drama, underperformance and tragedy. Draymond Green's suspensions sent them into a spiral. At their lowest point, they had a record of 19-24. Assistant coach Dejan Milojevic died at a team dinner in early January as a result of a heart attack, leaving the team emotionally in turmoil.
But the court product has improved recently. Green returned and performed well. Jonathan Kuminga has developed into a top-class power winger in his third season. Brandin Podziemski was a rookie revelation. Klay Thompson recently accepted a bench role. They have won nine of eleven games and seem to be moving further up the table. Now your trainer has an extra level of security.
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(Photo: Kirby Lee / USA Today)