The Golden State Warriors are preparing for another pivotal season, but the spotlight at Media Day wasn’t just on the players. Head coach Steve Kerr, who has guided the franchise to four championships and six NBA Finals appearances, dropped a cryptic hint that this could be his final year on the sidelines in San Francisco.
Kerr, who turned 60 last week, is entering the last season of his two-year, $35 million extension signed in 2024. That deal made him the highest-paid coach in NBA history at the time. But as the 2025–26 campaign begins, Kerr made it clear he isn’t rushing into another agreement.
“I’m very comfortable just going into this season with a year left,” Kerr told reporters. “I’m so aligned with Mike [Dunleavy Jr.] and Joe [Lacob] that we’ve talked about this. There’s no reason for discussion or concern. This is a point in our relationship where let’s just see how it is at the end of the year”.
While Kerr emphasized his love for the job, his words carried an undertone that suggested he is reflecting more on the end of his tenure than the beginning of another chapter.
“I love my job, I love what I’m doing every day. Can’t wait to get to the building, and hopefully I’m here for another few years,” he said. “But it makes sense for the organization, and for me, just to see where this thing is at the end of the year”.
Kerr also noted that he does not anticipate any contract negotiations during the season, leaving his future entirely dependent on how the year unfolds.
Since taking over in 2014, Kerr has become synonymous with the Warriors’ dynasty. His innovative system unlocked the full potential of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, leading to a record-breaking 73-win season in 2016 and four NBA titles.
But with Curry now 37, Jimmy Butler entering his first full season in the Bay, and the roster aging, the Warriors’ window for contention is narrowing. Kerr’s decision to wait until the offseason could hinge on whether this group has one more deep playoff run left in them.
If the Warriors make a strong push in the West, Kerr could be offered another short-term extension to continue alongside Curry. But if the season ends in disappointment, both sides may view it as the natural conclusion of a historic run.
Either way, Kerr made it clear that however his tenure ends, it will be on good terms.
“However this ends, it’s going to be done in a really quality way,” he said.
For now, the Warriors’ legendary coach is focused on the present. But his cryptic comments have left fans wondering: is this the beginning of the end of the Steve Kerr era in Golden State?
