Could a Foundational Pillar of the Golden State Warriors Crumble After Missing the NBA Playoffs?

The Golden State Warriors' disappointing season concluded with a loss in Phoenix. Head Coach Steve Kerr has cast doubt on his future with the team.

The Golden State Warriors failed to secure a playoff spot in their decisive game against the Phoenix Suns. Following this defeat, Head Coach Steve Kerr suggested his potential resignation.

Kerr announced that he would be meeting soon with Warriors owner Joe Lacob and GM Mike Dunleavy. "We'll decide together how to move forward. I don't know what will happen. I still love coaching," Kerr stated after the 96-111 loss, "but I also know: These jobs all have an expiration date. There's a certain lifespan, and when it ends, it's sometimes time for fresh blood and new ideas and all that."

Kerr continued, "And if that's the case, then I'll just be grateful for this unique opportunity, which one could hardly wish for better: to coach this team, in front of our fans in the Bay Area, and to lead Steph Curry, Draymond, and the whole squad."

Stephen Curry: "I want the coach to be happy."

Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, who both won four NBA championships under Kerr, have publicly supported their coach.

"I want him to be happy. I want him to enjoy the job. I want him to believe he's the right person for the job," Curry said. "I want him to have the opportunity to find joy in what he does again."

The 38-year-old superstar, drafted by the Warriors in 2009 and playing under Kerr since 2014, emphasized: "Everyone has their own plans. And I'm not going to dictate to anyone what they should do. He knows what I think of him. That shouldn't even need to be said."

Green, with the Warriors since 2012, expressed his hope that Kerr would continue. "I don't handle change well, I just don't like it," the 36-year-old said. "And that's why I don't want to think about it. I hope it doesn't come to that."

Warriors 2026: Only Once Have They Been Worse Under Steve Kerr

Kerr reflects on his twelfth season with the Warriors. The Dubs reached the Finals six times during this period, winning the title four times. The 60-year-old transformed Curry into the greatest shooter of all time and coached superstars like Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson alongside Curry and Green. In 2015, Andre Iguodala was named Finals MVP under Kerr.

As a player, Kerr won five championships: with the Chicago Bulls alongside Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, and with the San Antonio Spurs alongside Tim Duncan and David Robinson. Kerr himself is considered one of the league's best three-point shooters in history.

The past season, with a record of 37-45 and 10th place in the West, was the second-worst of the Kerr era, surpassed only by the transition season of 2019-2020, when the Warriors won only 15 out of 65 games – the season was temporarily interrupted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The season was overshadowed by numerous injuries. Curry, despite being 38 years old, remained the team's most crucial pillar, playing in only 43 out of 82 games. He was sidelined with knee problems from late January to early April.

"It was a season that couldn't have been tougher – with the injuries and all the adversity," Kerr said. However, he added that his team always fought and never gave up, as shown in the first Play-In game against the L.A. Clippers, which the Warriors won after trailing by 13 points. He expressed pride in his group, stating, "Tonight, it just wasn't enough."