There has been a ton of speculation about Steve Kerr's future as the head coach of the Golden State Warriors. With his contract up at the end of the year and the team heading in the wrong direction, a mutual parting of ways seems like it could be on the cards.
However, Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic made a great point on KNBR recently about Kerr's future. He talked about how Kerr has a ton of money on the table for next season in the neighborhood of $15 to $20 million.
That would be a lot of money to walk away from, meaning Kerr may have no other choice than to come back for another season even if a championship might be a long shot.
Head coach Steve Kerr may return to Warriors on a big contract
Of course, owner Joe Lacob would have to want Kerr back. If the Warriors flame out the rest of this season after the Jimmy Butler injury, perhaps Lacob will talk himself into thinking that Kerr is the real problem and will decide to move on.
At the same time, that would probably not fly with Stephen Curry or Draymond Green who have been through almost everything with Kerr since he was hired back in 2014.
Curry has spoken about how he wants to finish his career with Kerr as his head coach, so to deny the 2x MVP that wish would be a slap in the face to a guy who has done so much for the franchise and the NBA at large.
If the Warriors did want to move on from Kerr, the question is who would replace him? There are no easy answers as Kerr is one of the best coaches in the NBA and one of the most respected leaders across the sports world.
Even though things look bleak right now, if the Warriors were to pull off a crazy trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo that would make the team's chances of contending next season, and potentially even this season, look a heck of a lot better.
If Kerr had the chance to take one final shot at a championship with Giannis and Steph, he would have to jump at that opportunity.
Ultimately, even if a crazy trade doesn't happen, Kerr would still be turning down a lot of money if he opted to walk away. Maybe the wear and tear of so many seasons will have caught up with him, but money could play a big factor in his final decision.