Warriors Coach Steve Kerr Says Current Core Is Not Facing a ‘Last Dance’
steve-kerr-waiting-on-extension-warriors
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told The TK Show host Tim Kawakami that he does not view the 2025-26 campaign as a final run for Stephen Curry and the team’s veteran nucleus, drawing a clear contrast with the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls squad he once played for.
“By no means am I looking at this as the last dance or my last dance,” Kerr said during the podcast released this week. “Steph, Draymond and Jimmy are signed for two more years.”
Waiting on Contract Talks
Kerr, who begins his 12th season on Golden State’s bench, is entering the final year of a two-year, $35 million deal. Speaking on media day last week, the four-time championship coach said he expects extension discussions to wait until after the 2025-26 season. “I don’t anticipate any negotiation during the season,” he told reporters, adding that the timeline “makes perfect sense for all of us.”
Different From Chicago’s ‘Last Dance’
Kerr contrasted the Warriors’ situation with the 1997-98 Bulls, noting that Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and coach Phil Jackson were all impending free agents at the time. “That Bulls team, everybody was a free agent … it was very clear-cut,” he said. “This is more of a traditional NBA situation where you’ve got some aging stars and you’re just trying to be good for as long as you can.”
Star Contracts and Recent Results
According to Spotrac, Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green each have two seasons remaining on their current contracts. Golden State won its most recent title in 2022 but exited in the first round in 2023 and missed the postseason in 2023-24 after finishing 48-34, good for seventh in the Western Conference before falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the conference semifinals.
Kerr’s Record With Golden State
Since taking over in May 2014, Kerr has guided the Warriors to a 567-308 regular-season mark (.648) and a 104-48 playoff record (.684). The team has reached the NBA Finals six times under his leadership and failed to qualify for the playoffs only three times.
Source: Basketball Insiders
