Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports stated on his podcast earlier this week that the Warriors are expected to pursue Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden if Steve Kerr decides to step down, noting that Golden has an existing relationship with the Lacob family (Twitter video link). However, Golden told reporters on Wednesday that he has no plans to leave his current position.
“(I’m) definitely planning on coaching the Gators,” he said (Twitter video link).
Interestingly, Thomas Haugh‘s decision to return to the Gators for his senior year and continue playing under Golden was influenced by a conversation he had with Warriors forward Draymond Green. According to Mark Long of The Associated Press, Warriors rookie Will Richard, who played at Florida from 2022-25, arranged a conversation between his current teammate Green and his former teammate Haugh, who was viewed as a potential lottery pick if he had entered the 2026 draft.
“I think Draymond gave him great perspective on what life in the NBA is like and what life in college is like and how enjoyable it is,” Golden said. “And it allowed him to be like, ‘All right, the NBA, not sounding arrogant, but it will be there for him.’ It’s going to be there. And he only has one more opportunity to be at Florida. So they had a great conversation, and I think that got him kind of thinking.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- FIBA has officially announced the hosts for the 2030 and 2031 World Cups. The women’s basketball event in 2030 will take place in Tokyo, Japan, while the men’s tournament the following year will be held in France, with games played in Paris, Lyon, and Lille (Twitter links).
- Paris Basketball guard Nadir Hifi, who went undrafted in 2023, tells the French outlet Le Parisien that he’s interested in the possibility of signing with an NBA team this offseason, as Dario Skerletic of Sportando relays. Hifi, 23, won the EuroLeague Rising Star award in 2024/25 and was the EuroLeague’s third-leading scorer this season at 18.9 points per game.
- In advance of the sentencing of Aspiration co-founder Joseph Sanberg, the NBA and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer both submitted letters to the federal judge overseeing the case, reports Baxter Holmes of ESPN. The attorney leading the league’s investigation into the Clippers’ relationship with Aspiration said Sanberg’s cooperation “substantially assisted our investigation, including our ability to develop a more complete understanding of key events,” whereas Ballmer’s attorney said the Clippers owner was “flagrantly defrauded” out of $60MM by Aspiration and requested that the judge’s sentence account for “the reputational damage that will take years to remediate.”
I cant believe I had to endure people asking sincerely “bUt wHo cAn RePLaCe kErR??” and they all refused my answer of “dozens upon dozens of people” – Golden being one of them.
If kerr doesn’t come back I think they should pursue Portland’s coach if he leves them. The guy is good with young players.
Not a bad idea. I wonder if they let him go? The word on the street is they can’t afford him lol
We can trade them Spencer for him.
It is hard to understand what Davey has against Steve Kerr. Most successful coach in the team’s history, and he hates that. The Warriors have had plenty of great players. Just not that many coaches who could put it all together.
Now he is all excited about Todd Golden. Great college coaches aren’t always successful in the NBA. Mike Montgomery lasted only one season.
Come to think of it…Didn’t Billy Donovan coach Florida…How did that work out for the Bulls…
@giant74 Who said great colleges are ALWAYS successful in the NBA?
Some are and some aren’t.
Greg Popovich, Larry Brown, Jerry Sloan, Brad Stevens were successful in college and NBA. Others great college coaches were not.
What’s your point?
Kuminga is having a good game tonight.
I never said he didn’t have skills. He is just inconsistent. When he was with the Warriors, he demanded to be a starter. Is he starting in Atlanta.
All you do is criticize Kuminga. Can you just be happy for him and root for him?
Here’s a guy who couldnt get off the bench for lowly Warriors, and now he’s making an impact in the playoff….. it’s one thing to perform in the meaningless gms or minutes, but he’a playing 4th quarter and helped them win 2 playoff games.
He must be somewhat good if he was inserted into a rotation on Day 1 of a winning team….. btw, Hawks have been talking about opting out not to get rid of him, but to pay him more and to sign him for long term contract. Ok?? Stop hating….. let’s just enjoy our own draft pick do well….
What hate? What is wrong with being honest about a player. Kuminga actually started and average more minutes for the Warriors. He is putting up the same numbers he did for the Warriors. I haven’t read anything that says they want to pay him more. Where did you read that?
Where did you read that they want to opt out because theydont want him???? It’s so obvious they want him. They put him into rotation from Day 1 and now playing heavy 4th quarter playoff minutes. Snyder and his new teammates are embracing him as well as Atl fans. Unbelievably, im a short time, they have developed chemistry. Hawks may still lose to Knicks in 7 gms but Kuminga has made his impact and statement that he belongs. Look for 4 yr $100m extension at the very minimum.
NY Times, several Hawks Fan sites, hoopsrumors.com among the places that have said they’ll decline his option and possibly sign him for a much lower number. He is actually playing less in Atlanta then he did with GS.
“Much lower number…” LOL
You mean like $5M that you predicted last offseason?? Lol
The way Hawks are playing him in 4th quarter in playoff tells you everything about how much they value him…. He could be sitting on the bench like Buddy Hield but he’s not..
“‘Much lower….. “ You are jusy make things up …. Not even common sense. Why would Kuminga sign “much lower” long term contract, lol. Goodness man.
When did I say $5 million? He is playing as much in Atlanta as he did in GS.
Last offseason.
At GS, he couldnt get off the bench, remember?? Kerr wanted him to play garbage minutes, remember?
With the Hawks, you are hearing things like:
“He’s all in…”
“He plays the game the rught way”
“He has winning pedigree”
“He’s selfless”
“Not surprised at all with Kuminga”
“He plays hard”
“He’s making an impact on defense”
Kuminga was pretty consistent in the 2nd rd last year after Steph got hurt, and Kerr got called out by Legler for not giving him enough minutes.
What about the rest of the season?
Weird reply. The season ended when GSW lost to the Wolves.
The Warriors struggled with their shooting last season. That’s why they traded for Butler. Kuminga had a down year shooting. So, why would he get more minutes?
He had a down shooting year under Kerr after getting jerked around, but he’s doing fine under Snyder.
Kerr obviously hated Kuminga and that’s on him.
Actually, his numbers really haven’t increased that much in Atlanta. He’ll have great games. Then not so good ones.
He was in the starting lineup to finish out the 23-24 season. He rejected the rookie extension that was offered him 5yrs/$125 million+. He wanted to be a starter and the center of the offense. He struggled all of 24-25. Some believed he was trying to hard to get a better deal. He started out the 25-26 season in the starting lineup. Then he reverted. Do you put someone in the starting lineup if you hate them?
He is coming off the bench in Atlanta. And, he is scoring the same amount.
He started at the beginning of the 25-26 season, but then it was Kerr that reverted to his usual benching when Kuminga made mistakes. Something he never did to Podz.
In the last game he started vs OKC (blowout loss), he led the team in scoring with 13 pts on 6-9/0-0/12 with 3 reb 4 ast and a block. Steph had 11 pts on 4-13/1-5/2-3 with 1 reb and 0 ast and Dray 3 pts on 1-4’1-3 with 2 reb 4 ast 1 stl.
Why would a coach that didn’t hate Kuminga scapegoat him like he did?
They could have easily said that Kuminga will be resting multiple gms with knee injury. My theory is it was part of the agreement with Lacob and Kuminga’s agent to start certain of gms to start the season. Kerr was so out of it during those gms with Kuminga. In a way, he crossed Lacob in this and other instances, and that is why he wont be coaching Warriors anymore.
What Kerr failed to understand is that it wouldnt have made a single difference to Warriors season had he playd Kuminga instead of benching him. The only difference would have been an increased trade value of Kuminga and more experience for Kuminga.
If Kerr has played more young players over the years, Warriors would have better future. Instead, Warriors now have no future whatsoever.
You are being stubborn about this just like you were with Wiseman… how it takes years to develop and how he is still developing when it’s so clear he was a bust, lol.
Kerr is a great coach and he had great run with Warriors. However, he got big headed and changed his ways. He made mistakes dealing with Lacob and with high draft picks.
He did kuminga wrong for whatever reasons.
It was personal rather than professional for whatever reasons. It was so obvious and many in the league have said, “not so good situation” for Kuminga.
Do you think Hawks and Snyder would be playing Kuminga in the totation and in the postseason if Kuminga was a bad guy?
Overall, it’s just a bad look for Warriors and Kerr. No one, no one wants to be drafted by Warriors in the 1st round.
It is a biological fact that it takes taller people longer to develop coordination and athletic skills. No college and injuries slowed Wiseman down.
With the Warriors, Kuminga wanted to be a starter and the center of the offense. In Atlanta, he is fine coming off the bench.
Look up Kuminga’s stats. He is scoring the same as he did in Golden State.
Steph is 38yrs old. I don’t see Kerr walking out on him. Three yr contract should do it. With option for another.
This team has two yrs at best. To make a run in playoffs. I doubt they can win anything. But if everything goes right. They can be in West Finals. Then anything can happen. The window is closing.
It sounds like he is leaning to retire from the NBA coaching job. many of teh local writers are saying he doesn’t sound like he wants to come back to coach.
Right now everything is fresh. It’s been a rough year. And injuries have played a big part. But signing older players comes with that. Those are the chances you take. He looks like he could use a break. I see him finishing what he started here with Jimmy trade. He’s not running out on Steph. Cause a new coach could mean its over NOW. He owes his vets that. I say one more contract. He’s going out with Steph.
Can’t do 3 year contract.
League rules limit is 2 years for player this old.
Excited for the world cup this year and next, 2027 will be insane with prime Wembby
@easymoneysniper Since you muted me, I have to do it this way. Do you believe that there are “dozens and dozens” of college coaches that can easily step in and win 4 nba titles? It doesn’t happen that often.
@giants74 I never mute so it must be at your end.
When did I say there are “dozens” of college coaches that can step in? That’s another straw man.
You implied W’s shouldn’t hire a college coach because Billy Donovan didn’t win with the Bulls. I said there have plenty of both good and bad NBA coaches hired out of college.
If W’s hire Golden it’ll be because they think he can be a successful NBA coach and not because he was a successful college coach.
Do you believe warriors wouldn’t of won titles with anyone else other than Kerr? Kerr was 100% right spot right time.
Did they win titles with the other head coaches that they had? Same players, no titles.
Yeah ok. Because Jackson didn’t set the whole organisation in the right direction. My 9 yr old twin girls could coach Steph, Klay, KD and Dirtmond at the time.
Are you saying that your 9 year olds are better coach than Jackson? The organization was going in the right direction before they hired Jackson. Kerr brought it all together. KD was there for 2 titles and Klay was diminished for the 4th.
KD probably wouldn’t have joined had Jackson remained the coach
Yup, it was Kerr right spot right time plus.., I give huge credit to Jerry West for finessing the roster.
Monte Ellis out, Andrew Bogut in. Drafting Klay Thompson. Mark Jackson out, Steve Kerr in. Trade Klay Thompson to the Timberwolves for Kevin Love? No !!
These things were Jerry West in Joe Lacob’s ear
It takes a whole organization to win a title. You just can’t throw anyone in there at HC.
Did you know that they tried to trade Curry. The Bucks’s doctors rejected the trade. Said he might not last…Next season, the drafted Giannis. Davey would have gotten his dream in Milwaukee…LOL.
@easymoney You are getting yourself confused. If I muted you, I would not be able to see your comments.
As Davey said, “dozens upon dozens” of coaches would have been able to win titles with Curry and the Warriors. Curry has had 5 Head Coaches. He has only won with one of them.
The Warriors have had some great players over the years. But, no head coach of the Warriors has won more titles. If you are a fan of the Warriors, why would you hate Kerr?
@giants74 I hate Kerr? Where does that come from?
I like Kerr. He contributed to a dynasty. Good human being.
Not all W’s fans think Kerr is a great coach though. He fell into a great situation in 2015. Young players entering their prime. And he didn’t blow it.
It’s pretty obvious my middle school coach could have won multiple NBA Championships with KD, Steph, Klay, and Draymond. Kerr basically said so many times himself. Just stay out of the way.
Also obvious that the W’s have been disappointing the last 4 years. If you want to credit Kerr when he wins then give blame when he fails as well.
@@easymoney If coaching the Warriors was so easy, why didn’t Mark Jackson win a Championship. By your logic, he should have.
Lot of coaches fall into a situation. Look at Poppovich.
Players get older. They retire. It is really difficult to maintain a stellar roster for more than a decade. It is even harder in the NBA where they don’t have any minor league system.
These points about Kerr’s career have been debated for years and that will continue for many more.
But there’s no arguing that the coaching of the last 4 years doesn’t meet Lacob’s and Dunleavy’s standards.
You can disagree with them if you want but they’ve gone public that they think it’s not working.
@easymoney If Lacob and Dunleavy are so unhappy with Kerr’s performance, why do they want him back as headcoach? If they were that unhappy, they would have fired him. But, they have left it up to Kerr. They wouldn’t be waiting around. They would have already started the interview process for the next head coach. Kerr’s assistants would have been let go.
Think back to Myers departure. It’s literally the same thing. Lacob’s way. There was even a talk that lacob would or have offered Myers $100m extension. Lacob putting so much pressure, it’s his way of forcing people out…..
What? None of that makes any sense. Kerr doesn’t have contract with the Warriors. So, why would Lacob offer him a contract only to pull it. Nobody is going to want to work for him if he keeps doing that.
I was talking about myers. Similarly, you said that Lacob and MDJ want Kerr back if he wants. That’s bow it went with Myers and how did it end????
They offered Meyers a contract than withdrew it at the last minute? I didn’t hear anything like that.
Arent they saying Kerr can do whatever he wants? That they will pay him at the highest and prefer long term extension while attaching all kinds of conditions?
@michol, I’m assuming you saw the ESPN article by Ramona Shelburne that was clearly a leak by Lacob?
Lacob described the terms for Kerr possibly getting a new deal. He must change his coaching style. No way Kerr accepts that. And, he must sign a multi-year deal. No way he does that either without knowing whether Steff or Draymond will stick.
Same thing Lakob did to Myers. Delayed offering until contract had expired and took away his standing by creating a new Player Development group outside of Myers’ oversight
Lacob’s way of forcing them out, or firing them, lol
@the giants74 Try some critical thinking. This isn’t how you treat a coach or any employee when you want to retain them. Every VC or exec recognizes all these moves.
And you don’t leak to the press that you’re dissatisfied with their coaching style and that they need to change. No self-respecting Coach (or exec) would comply. It’s a slap in the face.
If they wanted Kerr back the deal would have been signed months ago. Kerr has been saying for the last year that he wants to keep coaching Steph and Draymond.
Like @Michol said this is the same thing Lacob did to Myers. When you don’t want to re-hire an exec, you need to give them a way to save face. They’re giving Kerr a chance to say “no”. Just watch.
@@easymoney Your theory easily falls a part. Kerr said at the beginning of training camp that he didn’t want to talk about a contract during the season. He said he would take time off to figure what he wanted to do. What is going on now was talked about last September. It is not uncommon for players and coaches to not talk about contracts during the season. Do you really believe that they said to him before training camp that they were going to fire him, but he could still coach the full season? That is silly.
But that is exactly how it went down with Myers man., that how he didnt want to talk about contract during the season, lol. Look it up, was Myers fired? No, but he’s not with the Warriors, lol.