Stephen Curry's desire for Steve Kerr to return as head coach of the Golden State Warriors would have certainly been a major factor in the franchise ultimately re-signing the 60-year-old to a new two-year contract on Saturday.
In the process of bringing back Kerr, the Warriors may have also secured Curry's future as the 38-year-old heads into the offseason eligible to sign a one or two-year contract extension.
Warriors may secure Stephen Curry's future with Steve Kerr contract
According to ESPN's Anthony Slater in the aftermath of Kerr's re-signing, extension talks between Golden State and Curry are likely to be far simpler thanks to his long-time coach now remaining at the franchise.
This should also make extension conversations with Curry simpler later in the summer. The franchise icon has long expressed a desire to remain with the Warriors the entirety of his career," Slater wrote. "He can add either one or two seasons to his current deal, which has one season remaining, when he becomes extension-eligible in August. Having Kerr locked in should ease Curry's concern of a franchise in complete transition, even if the championship ceiling is no longer there."
It wouldn't be overly surprising if Curry only signed a one-year extension, aligning him with Kerr's two-year deal which would then allow both to reassess their futures following the 2027-28 NBA season.
At that point Kerr will be 62-years-old and 14 years through his Warrior coaching career. Considering how close he appeared to be to departing this time around, it's more likely than not that this will be his last contract.
Curry will be 40-years-old after the 2027-28 season, and while he's held a desire to play beyond the next two seasons, a lot can happen during this next phase both for him as a player and the direction of the franchise around him.
Stephen Curry more likely to test free agency if Steve Kerr didn't return
Kerr's departure could have provided a level of uncertainty that would make it more likely for Curry to forego an extension and see how next season plays out, before potentially entering free agency in 2027.
Curry may have signed an extension anyway even with Kerr moving on, but you wouldn't have blamed him if he wanted to see how the team fared on the court with a new head coach for the first time in a dozen years.
The Warriors won't be able to officially sign Curry to an extension until August, but this Kerr re-signing is a major step in the right direction to ensuring they secure the 2x MVP's future beyond next season.
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