There was a belief that the financial aspect wasn't going to be a major factor in Steve Kerr's future at the Golden State Warriors, but one notable NBA insider believes it remains a real question mark that could ultimately lead to the 60-year-old's departure from the franchise.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst noted how the Warriors paid Kerr the highest coaching salary in the league this season for a team that failed to make the playoffs, giving the front office a problem that they may not be willing to repeat going forward.
Warriors might ask Steve Kerr to take a pay cut after missing playoffs
Speaking to Yahoo Sports Daily, Windhorst suggested that Kerr may need to take a pay cut and that contract negotiations could still prove just as important as sentiment and his desire to coach going forward.
Is Kerr willing to coach for a different salary next year? These are the real questions. This is where the rubber meets the road," Windhorst said. "This might come down to a negotiating thing. It might not be sentimental at all. This might be good old-fashioned negotiating."
Because of the very public desire of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and almost all the Warrior players for Kerr to return, there's been an assumption that the 4x championship-winning coach will be back with the team if that's his desire.
However, Windhorst paints an important picture of there still needing to be a contract in place, and that it might not be so simple as to just roll Kerr onto a new deal on the same money he was making previously.
There's no doubt that the highest paid coach in the league should be coaching a contender. Do Golden State consider that Kerr is still an elite coach and that the team's failures this season stemmed from roster construction and bad luck? How much are the Warriors willing to pay simply for the history of Kerr being a 4x champion with the franchise?
Steve Kerr still has leverage in contract negotiations with Warriors
Joe Lacob and Mike Dunleavy Jr. could theoretically ask Kerr to take a pay cut because of the team's struggles this season and inability to make the playoffs. Yet at the same time, Kerr also has leverage because there's no shortage of other opportunities available to him out there.
As Windhorst also acknowledged, Kerr could see very lucrative roles to return to the media/broadcasting. As much as he's publicly stated it will be the Warriors or nothing when it comes to coaching next season, there's little doubt Kerr will be asked the question by multiple franchises should he depart the Bay Area.
This makes for a real dilemma for both Kerr and the franchise, adding an extra element of intrigue ahead of an expected decision at some point in the next fortnight.
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