Steve Kerr is staying with the Golden State Warriors on a new two-year, $35 million extension, and he’s now opening up on the team’s failure to land a second star to play alongside Stephen Curry this offseason.
Golden State pursued both Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James as potential difference-makers next to Curry. Neither move materialized, leaving the Warriors to lean on their existing core once again heading into 2026-27.
Kerr’s Reasoning For Standing Pat
Kerr framed the inaction as a deliberate philosophy rather than a missed opportunity. He said the front office understands the Warriors’ place in the league and the broader landscape well enough to know that restraint is sometimes the smarter play.
He credited general manager Mike Dunleavy and owner Joe Lacob for staying aligned on that approach, saying the group is “all pretty much really on the same page” about being patient. Kerr’s view is that stacking sound decisions over time eventually creates the moment to strike, rather than forcing a deal that doesn’t fit.
What The Roster Actually Looks Like Now
Golden State will lean on a familiar group next season: Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Al Horford, Brandin Podziemski, and Moses Moody. Kristaps Porzingis enters his first full season with the team after arriving partway through last year.
The lone notable addition this offseason is Yaxel Lendeborg. That’s a modest return for a summer that began with real ambitions of adding a second star, and it leaves the Warriors without much fresh firepower after missing the playoffs entirely last season.
Kerr On Fixing Last Season’s Problems
Kerr didn’t pretend last season was good enough. He said the roster has quality players and needs better injury luck, but was direct that the bigger issue was finding the right style and playing two-way basketball consistently.
His framing was that the fix isn’t glamorous, it’s about attention to detail rather than a single roster addition solving everything. At 60 and heading into another season without the sidekick the front office chased all summer, Kerr’s bet is that internal improvement can make up ground a big trade didn’t.
