Steve Kerr may have only just re-signed with the Golden State Warriors on a new two-year contract, but the franchise may already be planning his successor after some notable moves on Thursday.
ESPN's Anthony Slater reported the departures of assistant coaches Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse after two seasons, with former New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green and former Warrior Finals MVP Andre Igoudala already two names strongly linked to joining Kerr's staff.
Eventual Steve Kerr replacement is already becoming painfully obvious
Hiring Green and/or Igoudala wouln't just be about the next two seasons, but it's easy to envisage a plan put in place for one of them to eventually become Kerr's success down the track.
Considering Kerr was so close to retiring before backflipping thanks to a stunning comeback victory over the L.A. Clippers in the Play-In Tournament, it would be highly unlikely for his career with the Warriors to extend beyond this two-year deal.
While Golden State will be solely focusing on one season at a time as Stephen Curry enters the latter stages of his career, they could simultatonsly put a plan in place to prepare one of their assistants to take over in the 2028 offseason.
As Slater put in his report, Kerr and Green have a relationship from the latter's first stint as an assistant at the franchise between 2016 and 2019 -- a period that produced back-to-back championships and a third NBA Finals appearance.
Former New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green is among the candidates, league sources said. Green started his NBA coaching career with the Warriors in 2016 and spent three seasons as an assistant on Kerr's staff. The two remain close," Slater wrote.
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints also brought up Igoudala as a potential hiring, with the 4x champion having previously done the rounds on social media as an out-of-the-box option to replace Kerr as he was mulling his decision.
Willie Green or Andre Igoudala could become Warriors next head coach
Green already has head coaching experience, having led the Pelicans for just over four years before he was axed just 12 games into this season. As a 44-year-old, Green still has plenty of time to earn another opportunity after leading New Orleans to a pair of playoff appearances.
Hiring Igoudala as a head coach without any prior experience as an assistant would have been a shocking and potentially unwise decision, but two years could be enough for the 42-year-old to learn the ropes and become Kerr's successor.
In the meantime, the Warriors will be hoping whoever replaces Stotts and Stackhouse can bring a new voice that helps the franchise rebound from a disappointing 10th-placed finish in the Western Conference this season.
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