SAN FRANCISCO.- Steve Kerr, coach of the Warriors de Golden State in the NBAagreed to sign a two-year, $35 million contract extension, according to two people with direct knowledge of the negotiations.
The sources spoke Friday on condition of anonymity because Kerr has not signed his new contract. ESPN was the first outlet to report on the deal, attributing the information to Kerr’s agents at Priority Sports.
The amount would be a record in terms of annual value for a coach.
In his tenth season with the Warriors, Kerr was about to fulfill his entire contract at the end of this season. He had denied that he was in a rush to sign, stating that the season was his priority and that he had always been clear that he wanted to remain in the position.
Recently, the 68-year-old strategist reached 500 victories. He has guided Golden State to four titles with a star-studded roster, led by Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson.
There was no pressure on the Warriors:
Kerr said on several occasions, including during his summer stay with the U.S. team, that he was not worried about entering the campaign without a contract for 2024-25. He will lead the United States at the Paris Olympics and has no plans to remain in that role for the next four-year cycle.
The average value of 17.5 million would be the largest in history for any coach in the NBA. Other deals have had a higher total value.
Miami’s Erik Spoelstra agreed to an eight-year, $120 million extension this year. San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich (five years, $80 million) and Detroit’s Monty Williams (six years, $78 million, according to media reports) also have larger contracts in terms of total dollars.
Source: AP
