Warriors star Stephen Curry and head coach Steve Kerr have been a team since Kerr’s arrival in 2014.
Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle
Since Golden State was eliminated from the NBA postseason picture with a play-in tournament loss, there has been plenty of anticipation over what’s next for the Warriors. The immediate focus is on head coach Steve Kerr’s future with the franchise. But there are also expectations that the Warriors will be trying to bring in top-tier talent to sustain them while Stephen Curry remains among the league’s elite players, as well as frustrations over their returns from past decisions.
With the Warriors already in offseason mode, we asked reporters Sam Gordon and Ron Kroichick as well as columnist Ann Killion for their thoughts about the Warriors’ predicament.
Kerr is expected to reconvene with general manager Mike Dunleavy and owner Joe Lacob soon. Are Kerr’s sporadic comments beyond basketball really that big an issue? What’s your gut feeling on the coach’s future?
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Sam Gordon: So long as Kerr is the best head coach for the Warriors, his opinions outside basketball shouldn’t affect discussions one iota. Not as a league and franchise legend. That the door has remained ajar this long signals a mutual desire to continue the partnership. Ultimately, they reach a deal to squeeze the rest of the juice out of this run.
Ron Kroichick: Kerr’s political beliefs are not a big issue in the conversation about his Warriors future. That’s just a really interesting sideshow. As long as he’s clear he’s offering his personal opinion, he has earned the platform to express his views. This is ultimately about basketball. As for my gut feeling on The Question — does Kerr leave or does he stay? — I absolutely thought he was leaving after his ever-candid news conference April 17 in Phoenix. Now I’m wavering. Kerr has basketball in his blood, he’s intensely competitive and he truly appreciates coaching Curry. My guess is Kerr, Lacob and Dunleavy find a way to make it work.
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Ann Killion: I don’t think Kerr’s non-basketball comments, which he never portrays as anything beyond his own personal feelings, are really an issue in these ongoing conversations. I think these discussions are — and should be — about basketball. Where the team goes in the next few years, how does it keep Curry as the focus while preparing for the future, what is the right style, what is needed from leadership. My gut is the same as it has always been: that Kerr is the right person to coach Curry, the best thing that’s ever happened to the Warriors, and therefore will be back.
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The Warriors are widely believed to be making another run at Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer. They’ve also been connected to Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James. What do you think is their most realistic path to an impactful roster addition this offseason?
Gordon: The draft. There’s a realistic chance they land a top-four pick and with it, potentially another franchise player. But even if they don’t, they stand to add an impact player with No. 11. Otherwise, Golden State can package its picks for a veteran star — contingent on a partner valuing expiring contracts more than other theoretical offers elsewhere. Either way, the Warriors need more athleticism to truly compete.
Kroichick: A year ago, the Curry/Draymond Green/Jimmy Butler core made the Warriors a realistic contender; with Curry healthy, I think they would have beaten Minnesota in the playoffs. Now, with Butler out at least until January and Green’s performance dropping, the Warriors clearly need more around Curry. They should swing for the moon with Antetokounmpo, given his ability and age (31). If that doesn’t work, then try to package players — Green? Kristaps Porzingis in a sign-and-trade? — and draft picks for an impactful starter.
Killion: The Warriors have to do something to maximize the rest of Curry’s career. What is that? If I knew the answer, I’d be in Dunleavy’s seat, making his salary. I agree with Ron: If you have any shot at Giannis, go for it! Is it realistic? I doubt it.
What’s your take on Jonathan Kuminga’s postseason breakout with the Atlanta Hawks, and what’s the takeaway from that for the Warriors?
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Gordon: The Warriors weren’t talented enough this season to bench Kuminga altogether. Not after his playoff showing last year against the Minnesota Timberwolves. They flamed out in the play-in tournament as an aging, ailing No. 10 seed as he logs impactful minutes for an upstart team in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They’re at a crucial inflection point given their vulnerabilities where they must ask themselves this summer — what’s more important, talent or fit?
Kroichick: Kuminga seems more willing to handle less glamorous tasks with the Hawks — rebounding, help defense, screening — than he was with the Warriors. Golden State obviously could use Kuminga’s above-the-rim exploits, but I still think he’s destined to be a highlight-reel scorer on a mediocre team. Kuminga and the share-the-ball Warriors weren’t a great match. The takeaway in retrospect? They probably should have traded him sooner to get more value.
Killion: To be honest, I haven’t really been watching. But good for Kuminga, a nice young man with a lot of talent that just was a bad fit with the Warriors. My main takeaway is that the Warriors took a huge gamble with back-to-back lottery picks that were going to need years to develop. They lost that gamble, both times, squandering incredible capital. If they get a decent slot in this year’s lottery, I assume they will learn from past mistakes and choose a player with more of a résumé, or trade the pick for an established player.