Call it the next step in keeping the band together in Golden State. Or call it rewarding the coach who hung four banners in your building.
Either way, Steve Kerr is getting PAID. The Warriors and Kerr agreed to a two-year contract extension worth $35 million, a story broken by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
BREAKING: Golden State’s Steve Kerr has agreed on a two-year, $35 million contract extension, Rick Smith and Dan Eveloff of @PrioritySports tell ESPN. Kerr’s new deal makes him the highest paid coach in league history at $17.5M a year. pic.twitter.com/Hpd0xslyCU
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 24, 2024
Wojnarowski also got a reaction to the news from Draymond Green.
“I think it’s incredible,” Warriors forward Draymond Green said... “Wouldn’t want to finish my time here with any other coach. What he’s meant to this franchise ... the winning ways that he brought here, you can’t replace that. ... He got what he deserved.”
This new extension makes Kerr the highest-paid coach in the NBA at $17.5 million a season (Gregg Popovich more per year but has additional duties as president of basketball operations). Kerr caught a bit of a break that his contract came up for an extension at a time when salaries for the top coaches in the league are exploding (Popovich at $20 million, Erik Spoelstra at $15 million, and Monty Williams at $13.3 million).
Kerr has been the head coach of the Warriors for 10 years, winning four NBA titles and racking up a .655 winning percentage (fifth best in league history). It had been a priority of the organization and team governor Joe Lacob to keep Kerr on the bench as long as they are keeping this core together (both Stephen Curry and Draymond Green have signed extensions). Kerr is a part of the fabric of this dynasty era for the Warriors, and it’s not a coincidence that his contract now will end exactly when Curry’s next deal ends.
