After the vast majority of Golden State beat reporters and NBA insiders said they believed Steve Kerr had coached his final Warriors game when the Dubs lost in Phoenix two weeks ago, some of those same beat reporters and NBA insiders are now saying there may in fact be a chance the coach returns.
Kerr, owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy held a two-hour meeting on Monday, according to multiple reports. ESPN was first among those reports, adding that the trio had already set a plan to meet again next week (after a golfing trip for the 12th-year Dubs coach).
Monday’s meeting, which was simply described as “productive” by a number of reports, has certainly changed some of the reporting vibes. NBC Sports Bay Area columnist Monte Poole had reported last week that Kerr wasn’t expected to return. But on Wednesday, after news about the meeting dropped, Poole had a new story playing a much different tune:
“Sources: Steve Kerr hints he’s open to Warriors return but alignment needed.”
Poole didn’t have any definitive answers, but reported both team and league sources indicated Kerr “didn’t sound like someone who didn’t plan on coaching next season.” Kerr also expressed similar sentiments in a profile interview with the New Yorker that was published on Sunday but was conducted a few days after the Dubs lost to the Suns.
“I wake up excited to come to the gym and coach basketball and collaborate with the staff and see the players and try to help them achieve something,” Kerr told the New Yorker in response to a question about what drives him. “That’s an amazing life. And that’s all that really matters is: Do you enjoy what you do every day and are you fulfilled? I still am.”
Kerr, though, seems keenly aware that coaching runs don’t last forever and that he may be nearing the “expiration date” he discussed two weeks ago. But that sentiment apparently isn’t felt by the Warriors front office. ESPN said the Warriors aren’t exploring any other coaching option and Kerr “still makes sense” as the Dubs coach. San Francisco Standard columnist Tim Kawakami had a similar line in an interview on 95.7 The Game on Wednesday.
“There is one true thing about this: Steve Kerr is the right guy to coach this team,” Kawakami said. “I don’t think anyone has ever, at least with the Warriors, maybe Steve Kerr hasn’t felt that into the future at times, but I don’t think anybody in the Warriors thinks he’s the incorrect person to coach this team. Is he the right person if he isn’t sure? If he doesn’t know? That’s where this becomes, you know, something they have to hash out still.”
And there does seem to be a lot to work out. Poole offered a view of what each side is seeking in order to find that elusive “alignment,” which seems to be the crux of a possible deal getting done — and noted it isn’t about how much money the team pays Kerr.
“Among the factors that will determine Kerr’s decision are roster construction, the front office’s offseason plans and some form of compromise on his willingness to address sociopolitical issues that are dear to his heart. Kerr clearly is uneasy with suppression,” Poole wrote. “Among the issues the front office would like to see from Kerr are a readiness to embrace greater flexibility with coaching schemes, particularly as they relate to the team’s younger players, while also demanding more accountability from all players, including [Steph] Curry and [Draymond] Green.”
That’s a lot to think about over a round of golf.