Forward Draymond Green believes Steve Kerr has coached his last game for the Golden State Warriors.
On a Monday episode of his podcast, four-time All-Star Green predicted Kerr — who is now a coaching free agent — won’t return to the Warriors next season.
Draymond Green discusses Steve Kerr’s future
“I hope he’s our coach next year,” Green said of Kerr. “You want my opinion? I think not. Just because it feels like that, it felt like that was it.”
Amazon Prime cameras caught Green, Kerr and guard Stephen Curry sharing a moment during the Warriors’ 111-96 loss to the Phoenix Suns during the play-in tournament this past Friday.
The coach told the stars, “I don’t know what happens next, but I love you guys.”
During a postgame news conference, Kerr said he won’t coach another team next season but also suggested he won’t return to the Warriors’ sideline.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Kerr said (h/t Joe Akeley of Golden State Warriors on SI). “I still love coaching, but I get it. All these jobs have an expiration date.”
Bringing back Kerr, who has won four championships in 12 seasons with the Warriors, would be a good move. The 60-year-old coach, however, doesn’t want to coach a team that’s clearly in need of a reboot. Since beating the Boston Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals, Golden State hasn’t advanced past the second round of the playoffs and has missed it twice.
Curry and Green aren’t guaranteed to return either. The sharpshooting guard is set to become a free agent. The forward, meanwhile, can decline his player option before June 29, which would allow him to explore other options.
Kerr hasn’t made his decision. But with the team no longer looking like a surefire championship contender, even if Green and Curry return, his departure almost feels inevitable.