Kerr not surprised by McCaw’s holdout

Count Warriors head coach

Steve Kerr among those who aren’t shocked by restricted free agent Patrick McCaw’s hardball tactics with the back-toback NBA champions.

“Not really,” Kerr said Wednesday when asked whether he was surprised that McCaw has yet to re-sign with Golden State. “Nothing really surprises me in the NBA. You coach whoever’s here, and we’re lucky to coach a great bunch.”

Two weeks into the regular season, the Warriors have no timetable on a resolution to their contract stalemate with McCaw. He has already declined the team’s $1.7 million qualifying offer, and he reportedly does not intend to sign Golden State’s latest offer: one year at $2.5 million, with a team option for a second year at $2.7 million.

Because McCaw is a restricted free agent, the Warriors can match any offer he receives from another franchise. At this stage, even minimum contracts are seemingly scarce, which raises a question: What is McCaw trying to accomplish?

The only way he can play for another team this season is if Golden State renounces its rights to him, which seems unlikely. Though he is coming off an underwhelming season, McCaw, 23, is still a long, versatile wing with big-game experience and plenty of upside. Why would the Warriors let him go for nothing?

McCaw’s camp has gone silent, but there is a growing belief that he is continuing to hold out in hopes that his absence will so frustrate the team that it’ll eventually renounce him and let him find a bigger role elsewhere.

Whatever McCaw’s reasoning, this much is certain: Golden State is moving forward without him.

In his absence, it has opened the season 8-1, including a 131121 win over New Orleans on Wednesday. Small forward

Alfonzo McKinnie, who essentially took McCaw’s roster spot, has emerged as a valued rotation piece. Though he has yet to earn consistent minutes, rookie Jacob Evans has shown he can defend multiple positions in the NBA.

Even if McCaw decides to join the Warriors, he would have a lot of explaining to do to his teammates, some of whom have unfollowed him on social media in recent weeks. A team loaded with All-Stars in their prime might have a tough time understanding why a fringe rotation player has yet to re-sign.

“We’d love to have Patrick here,” Kerr said, “but the ball’s really in his court.” Livingston update: Point guard Shaun Livingston missed his third straight game with right foot soreness.

“It’s kind of game-by-game,” Kerr said of Livingston. “He had an MRI, and it was clear and everything was fine, but we are going to be very careful with Shaun.”