The Golden State Warriors have already been linked to the likes of Kawhi Leonard, Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James ahead of the offseason, but any blockbuster move for a star could be slipping away given Steve Kerr's likely departure from the franchise.
Kerr's exit could drastically shift the front office's decision-making when it comes to the roster this summer, including the potential of making a big trade or free agency move for one of the aforementioned stars (or others).
Steve Kerr exit could put an end to Warriors next blockbuster move
Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard recently considered whether any veteran star would want to join the Warriors to play for an inexperienced coach, even if the allure of playing with Stephen Curry is still a factor.
Take James, for example, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent. He has a relationship with Kerr from their time winning Gold together at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and would forseeably be more comfortable in signing with the Warriors in free agency if Kerr was part of the equation.
However, beyond just the thoughts of veteran stars like James, Kawakami questions whether the Warriors themselves would even plot a move for a big name player without Kerr in place as head coach.
"You can plot all the wild scenarios about adding a big-personality superstar to a locker room that already has Curry, Draymond, and Jimmy Butler if you've got a coach that has won four titles and an Olympic Gold Medal and has dealt with every high and low and controversy and star addition possible," Kawakami wrote.
Asking an inexperienced coach to come in an navigate Curry's final years would be enough pressure within itself, let alone adding James or another veteran star that could bring another considerable aspect to steer through.
Steve Kerr's future is critical to the Warriors offseason
This is exactly why Kerr's decision -- likely to be announced in the next fortnight -- is so important to what Golden State do moving forward. His future, and whoever Golden State potentially hire as a replacement, has to be in step with their roster plans.
The fact the Warriors only have six confirmed players under contract for next season is both a blessing and a curse. It does create even more decisions to be made which could see things go wrong, but it also allow them to potentially manipulate the roster based on who the head coach is going to be.
Should Kerr depart, the Warriors might need to target a veteran coach who could handle the addition of another big name coming, therefore giving the franchise the strongest chance of another title during the Curry era.
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