Steve Kerr's contract extension should give major hint on future of Warriors' veteran

The Golden State Warriors locked in a crucial part of their future on Friday, with Steve Kerr committing to the franchise as head coach until at least the end of the 2025-26 season.

First reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Kerr and the Warriors have agreed to a two-year, $35 million contract. The $17.5 million per year is the highest per annum deal signed by a head coach in NBA history.

Steve Kerr's contract extension should provide a major hint to Klay Thompson's future at the Golden State Warriors

While Kerr and his management could have pushed for a longer-term deal, there's a very obvious reason as to why the 58-year-old has only signed a two-year extension. The reason? None other than Stephen Curry.

Kerr's two-year deal aligns him to Curry's contract, with the franchise superstar owed $115 million over the last two seasons of his deal. Kerr's admiration for his best player has been palpable in recent years, and it's hard to see a world in which he coaches Golden State without Curry on the roster.

Not only do Kerr and Curry's contracts align, but so too does Draymond Green after he re-signed with the franchise last offseason. The 33-year-old will make around $50 million over the next two years, then has a $27.7 million player option for 2026-27.

With Curry, Green and Kerr locked in for the next two years, that leaves Klay Thompson as the only part of the veteran core without a contract beyond this season. If the franchise and 34-year-old can agree on a new deal, one can only assume it would also align with the other three.

The Athletic's Shams Charania reported in December that Thompson had rejected a two-year, $48 million extension with the franchise. Based on his underwhelming season that's recently seen the five-time All-Star moved to the bench, a similar deal could be revisited should Thompson enter free agency.

This is not to say that the storied quartet will go their seperate ways come the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, but it at least gives the franchise a chance to re-evaluate depending on how the next couple of seasons play out.

Kerr's new contract comes amid a surging period for the Warriors who are 10-2 in the last 12 games, including back-to-back wins over the Los Angeles Lakers and Charlotte Hornets coming out of the All-Star break.