Injury has robbed the Golden State Warriors of quite a lot this season. First, the torn ACL that Jimmy Butler suffered in late January took away an aspirations they had towards championship contention. Then, an injury to Stephen Curry just before the All-Star Break took away much of the entertainment value that was left for the team over the remainder of the regular season.
Curry has now been out for close to six weeks, and the organization's most recent update indicates he'll miss at least five more games as he continues to rehab soreness in his right knee.
With Butler, Curry, and Draymond Green (via player option) only remaining under contract through next season, the urgency for the Warriors to compete is certainly on. The inevitable truth that this season is essentially gone, therefore, is a painful pill to swallow for the whole organization and fanbase.
To make matters even more perilous, head coach Steve Kerr is in the final year of the two-year, $35 million extension he signed back in 2024. His departure to another organization or retirement are, at the very least, possibilities.
But according to Nick Friedell, speaking on the latest episode of The Zach Lowe Show, Warriors fans should have nothing to fear.
Steve Kerr's relationship with Steph Curry will keep him around for one more run
For a less patient team and coach, rushing their superstar back from injury might be an option. For Kerr and the Warriors organization as a whole, it's likely not even a thought that's crossed their mind.
This is because of what Curry has meant to the organization for over 16 seasons, and Friedell firmly believes that Kerr will not set that aside as he contemplates his options this offseason:
"I absolutely think [Steve Kerr] is coming back next year. That would really shock me if he doesn't come back because he and [Stephen Curry] have the relationship... Whatever Steph wants with this team, Steph is going to get."Nick Friedell
Often, it's easy to shift blame upon the organization for not furnishing Curry with the tools he needs to seriously contend. It's also easy to blame Kerr for his perceived failures at developing younger players. But Friedell is right. Golden State owes Curry everything they can possibly give him, and Kerr, as one of the most successful coaches in the history of the NBA, gives him the best shot at a championship.
His ability to hone rotations, to get the most out of the guys available on any given night, is largely unparalleled in the league.
Kerr, meanwhile, is a competitor through and through. There's almost no possibility he'll truly walk away without having seen out Curry's career.
In short, Warriors fans have nothing to be worried about this offseason— apart from maybe the dollar figure that Kerr's extension inevitably comes in at.