The Golden State Warriors have indicated quite a bit about what the next couple years will look like with their decision to extend head coach Steve Kerr for two more seasons.
Now that the deal is done, it seems as though Joe Lacob and Mike Dunleavy never truly wavered in their stance. If Kerr wanted to come back, they wanted him to be at the helm over the remainder of Stephen Curry's career and perhaps even beyond.
Of course, there are valid criticisms to be made of how Kerr has handled the team since their last championship in 2022. But at the end of the day, the Warrior's ultimate goal is championship contention. Kerr has more championship experience than any coach in the league, and sticking it out with him was the right thing to do.
This doesn't mean there won't be some changes in store, though. Golden State has long ran the same type of system, with the same expectations of their players, under Kerr. It's likely that Dunleavy and Lacob, in their meetings with Kerr, expressed a desire for certain shortcomings to be addressed upon his return.
In the mind of the San Francisco Standard's Tim Kawakami, the organization will hopefully be more willing to experiment with their personnel and stretch the limits of Kerr's system upon his return:
"I do think need players who can play differently. They tried it at times; it hasn't worked... But they need more talent. They need different talent. They need to expand this a little bit. They just can't be dead offensively if it's not [Stephen Curry]. " Tim Kawakami, Warriors Plus-Minus Podcast
Steve Kerr must be willing to expand his scheme upon his return
If there's one criticism to be levied at Kerr, it's that he's been relatively rigid over the past few years in how he expects young players to acclimate to his demands and his system. And in a sense, that's not even really a criticism.
The Warriors have found immense success over the years maximizing Curry in the way that Kerr's scheme demands. Players like Jonathan Kuminga, who have failed to do the work on the margins that the scheme necessitates, have simply fallen short of what the Warriors have asked of them.
At the same time, though, it's clear that things need to change. Golden State has now missed the playoffs in two out of the last three years, and they'd likely still have been a healthy measure away from contention even without their injury struggles this season.
Kawakami's argument is sound. The Warriors have long shied away from acquiring players who require the scheme to be catered around them in order to succeed, especially off the bench.
Kawakami argues that Golden State could benefit from adding a couple of those pieces to their bench unit— players who are able to get downhill and create their own offense independent of Curry's gravity. While the organization's finances are relatively limited this offseason, this should be an achievable goal.
But it will require Kerr to reimagine parts of his offensive structure, and it could put the jobs of certain 'Kerr-type' players, such as Gary Payton II, in jeopardy. But knowing Kerr and knowing this front office, it's likely that the expectation for 2026-27 is something beyond the status quo. The fanbase has demanded more than that, and they deserve it..
Kerr's extension, therefore, doesn't mean we won't see major changes for the Warriors this offseason.
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