Warriors’ Kerr ‘thrilled’ about Green’s big deal
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr braced for the “inevitable” dismantling of his powerhouse team this offseason, but it was still jarring for him to see Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston depart.
So Kerr found some solace over the weekend, when forward Draymond Green agreed to a fouryear, nearly $100 million contract extension to remain with the Warriors. Green and guards Stephen Curry (potentially a free agent in the summer of 2022) and Klay Thompson (signed through the 202324 season) are all under contract for at least the next three years.
Kerr, appearing Tuesday on the “Dan Patrick Show,” called Green’s deal “huge” given the reshaping of Golden State’s roster.
“What happened with our team this year was inevitable, in terms of how many guys we lost,” Kerr said on the show. “It’s going to happen at some point in the NBA, where your team sort of breaks up and you have to start a new era.
“But you always want some continuity. So to have Steph, Klay and Draymond still remain the core of our team going forward, it allows us to transition to that next step and build the next version of the Warriors.
“Not to mention the fact he (Green) just deserves it. He’s been the heart and soul of our team for the last five years, and one of the key reasons we have three championships. So I was thrilled to see Draymond rewarded.”
Green, Kerr and this new version of the Warriors must confront a new version of the Western Conference. Several teams in the West became stronger this summer, including the Lakers (Anthony Davis), Rockets (Russell Westbrook) and Jazz (Mike Conley).
But when Patrick asked Kerr which one move got his attention, Kerr pointed to Kawhi Leonard leaving Toronto for Los Angeles.
“I think the Clippers, for sure, getting Kawhi and Paul George,” Kerr said. “Just because it was getting both of them at the same time, several days after everybody else had finished their business. Everybody was kind of waiting on Kawhi, and then to hear Paul George’s name in that equation was sort of shocking for everybody.”
Kerr, incidentally, also said the Warriors had no conversations he “knows of” with Leonard during his free agency.
The Warriors are expected to host the Clippers on Oct. 24 — that’s tentatively scheduled as the first regularseason game at Chase Center, league sources told the New York Times last week.