Jason Burgos
It looks like neither Stephen Curry nor coach Steve Kerr is ready to quit each other or the Golden State Warriors just yet.
Earlier this week, there was renewed excitement about the Warriors after Curry was in vintage form during a 126-121 NBA Play-In Tournament win over the Los Angeles Clippers. Boy, can things change quickly in a few days.
On Friday night, they looked to lock up the eighth seed in the West with their second Play-In game, this time against the Phoenix Suns. They finished the first quarter down 33-15, had trouble catching up for the rest of the night, and fell dominantly by a score of 111-97. It brought a close to a resoundingly disappointing 37-45 season that began with real NBA Finals aspirations.
The defeat created immediate speculation about the futures of Curry, Kerr, and fellow core member of their dynasty, Draymond Green. Curry turned 38 last month and struggled to compete in half of their games this season because of injuries. Kerr has seemed war-weary for the last few years and looks like he needs a break. Green is as volatile as ever, but he isn’t close to as effective on the court as he was during his prime.
Stephen Curry and Steve Kerr seem set on returns in 2026-27
Yet, despite a belief that one or two of them could be gone after this season, it looks like they are not ready to quit each other just yet. Following their loss to the Suns, Curry was optimistic he could fully rehab his troublesome knee and thinks he has “multiple” years left in his career. Furthermore, he claimed he is open to signing an extension with the team. One would assume it is for a little less money, but with extra guaranteed years.
To many, Kerr seemed like the one most likely to take a break from coaching and go enjoy the riches from his success. But it looks like he isn’t going anywhere either.
“I don’t want to walk away from Steph. I’m definitely not going and coaching somewhere else next year in the NBA,” he said on Friday night. “… I would never walk away from Steph.”
The 12-time All-Star has one season and over $62 million left on his current contract. Kerr is officially a coaching free agent after this season.
Draymond Green hopes he did enough to return to Warriors in 2026-27
So what does that mean for Green? He was ejected in the final minute of the game for arguing from the bench with Suns superstar Devin Booker, and his erratic behavior has yet to dissipate with age. Well, he hopes he is still with the only team he’s ever played for in 2026-27 as well.
“I hope I’ve done enough to still be here,” he said after the loss. “At the end of the day, if I haven’t done enough, I don’t want to be here. I don’t want it to be a [situation] where ‘we just keep him around for what he’s done before’.”
There has been a lot of speculation that the Warriors could try to trade Green this offseason. However, he admitted recently his willingness to also take a team discount for an extension to stay with the Warriors a few more seasons.
