Job security when it comes to coaching in the NBA is always extremely low. Unless your name is Gregg Popovich, you can be fired on any given day in any given season, regardless of what your track record may say. Successful teams are always making changes on the sidelines, just look at Monty Williams being fired by the Phoenix Suns in the offseason. However, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra are among an extremely small group that have been fortunate enough to be in the perfect situations.
It is no secret that the Heat and Warriors have been two of the most successful franchises in the NBA through the last decade or so. From making the NBA Finals to winning championships to various playoff appearances, these two teams have done it all. What has remained constant with these two organizations through the years is the man leading them on the sideline.
Spoelstra has been the head coach of the Heat after working his way up since the start of the 2008-09 season and Kerr has been the coach of the Warriors since the start of the 2014-15 season. Alongside Popovich, these three are the only head coaches in the league to have been with the same organization for at least the last 10 seasons. Kerr is in his 10th season with Golden State, Spoelstra is in his 16th season with Miami, and Popovich is in the midst of Year 28 with the San Antonio Spurs.
It really shouldn't come as a surprise to see Pop be the highest-paid coach in the league at $19 million a year, especially since his five titles and the fact that he's the league's all-time winningest coach speaks for itself. Kerr and Spoelstra are also amongst the highest-paid in the league, but the Heat coach recently cashed on the richest deal for a head coach in NBA history.
Erik Spoelstra's historic contract
The Heat made sure to reward their head coach for his accomplishments. On Tuesday, the Heat and Erik Spoelstra agreed to an eight-year, $120 million contract extension, the most committed coaching money in league history. At base level, Spoelstra's contract will pay him about $15 million annually, which puts him only behind Popovich as the highest-paid coach in the league.
It is also worth noting that Spoelstra's contract also puts him in front of Monty Williams, who signed a near $80 million contract with the Detroit Pistons in the offseason.
Every season since the “Big 3” of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh disbanded in Miami, Spoelstra has done nothing but lead the Heat to success. While there were obviously some down years where the team missed the playoffs, the Heat head coach has consistently come up with ways to reinvent this team.
Whether it is finding gems through undrafted players or simply believing in players more than their previous team did, Spoelstra is the ultimate player's coach in this league. There is a reason everyone talks about “Heat culture” and this organization always finds a way to be championship contenders near the end of the year.
Right behind Popovich money-wise and now in front of Kerr, a lot of question marks surround the Warriors and the future of their head coach.
Steve Kerr's expiring contract
When the 2023-24 NBA season began, the Golden State Warriors were thrown under the microscope. This team failed in their journey to repeat as champions, Bob Myers decided to leave the front office, Jordan Poole was traded, their main core group of Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson were getting older, and Steve Kerr was entering the final year of his contract.
While the team negotiated a new deal with Green as a free agent, this was not the case with Kerr. In fact, the two sides never really came close to hammering out some sort of extension and Kerr seemed to be at peace with the idea of coaching in the final year of his current contract.
“I feel great about my position here,” Kerr said before the season, via the Associated Press. “I want to be here. I know Mike [Dunleavy Jr.] and Joe [Lacob] want me here, and so I’m very confident something will get done. But I’m not stressed about it at all. I’m perfectly capable of coaching whether I have one year left or an extension. Makes no difference.”
All seemed well for Golden State and it simply seemed like a matter of time before the Warriors addressed Kerr's contract situation. The season started, there was no real talk about Kerr getting a new deal, and the weeks began to go by. October passed, November passed, and now December is in the rearview mirror. Almost halfway through the 2023-24 season, there has been no mention of an extension for Kerr. Not to mention, the Warriors have struggled a lot this season, shining even more of a spotlight on Kerr's future.
Future of Warriors
The Warriors are currently 17-19 entering Wednesday night's game against the New Orleans Pelicans. With a loss, Golden State will fall even farther down the standings, as they currently own the fourth-worst record in the Western Conference.
Between Draymond Green's suspension, the Warriors' inability to close out games, and now there being rumors about both Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody being unhappy with their respective roles, there are serious questions being asked about if this is it for the Warriors.
Four championships, six Western Conference titles, and just under 500 regular season wins. This is what Kerr has achieved with the Warriors. Curry has made it clear that he wants Kerr to remain his head coach and it's not hard to believe that the other core members of Thompson, Green, and even veteran center Kevon Looney would echo this request.
At the end of the day, the decision of who is on the sidelines for the Warriors is made by general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and owner Joe Lacob. While it is unlikely that the Warriors would want to part ways with Kerr, they have major financial decisions to make in the coming months.
Can the Warriors afford to keep things the same? They absolutely can, especially seeing as the franchise is the highest-valued organization in the NBA with a valuation of $7.7 billion, according to Forbes.
Whether or not Lacob and the Warriors are willing to open up their checkbooks to keep things the same remains the major question mark seeing as the team has regressed and is now in danger of missing the playoffs for the third time in the last five seasons.
Green was just paid this past offseason and Thompson is set to become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season. Curry will soon be eligible for another extension and then there is also the trade deadline looming, where the Warriors could potentially look to make a huge seismic splash by pursuing an All-Star-like talent in hopes of pushing for another championship. A move like that could wind up costing the Warriors even more money.
It truly seems like some sort of budget cut is on the horizon for the Warriors and that mindset was made clear when the team moved Poole for veteran Chris Paul over the summer. Regardless of what has transpired this season, Kerr has earned every ounce of an extension from the Warriors simply because he has played just as big of a role in their dynasty as his three future Hall of Famers.
With Spoelstra recently receiving his massive extension from the Heat, this is now going to be the baseline for Kerr in negotiations with Golden State. Unless he is willing to accept less to help the team, Kerr should wind up seeing more money than Spoelstra did, as well as come close to what his Popovich, his mentor and former coach, is making.
If anything has become clear following Spoelstra's extension with the Heat, it is that Kerr is just as deserving of being paid for his constant history of success. Time will tell what the future holds for the Warriors and their head coach.
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