Steve Kerr, the veteran head coach of the Golden State Warriors, is weighing his options as the franchise looks ahead following a disappointing end to the season. The four-time NBA champion coach hinted that he could be on his way out after the Warriors fell 111-96 to the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference play-in game on Friday night, a loss that eliminated the Bay Area team from postseason contention. The Suns, who secured the final Western Conference berth, will now face the top‑seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.
For the Warriors, the loss marked the conclusion of a campaign that fell short of expectations, with star guard Stephen Curry, now 38, managing just 17 points in the final game. After the buzzer, Kerr embraced Curry and fellow veteran Draymond Green—both core members of the Warriors' championship era under Kerr—and appeared to whisper a heartfelt "thank you" before the cameras cut away. When asked about the exchange, Kerr smiled and deflected, saying, "None of your business." Both Curry and Green made it clear they would like Kerr to stay.
Curry said, "I want the coach to be happy, I want him to be excited about the job. He knows how I feel about him, that shouldn't even need to be said." Green echoed the sentiment, admitting, "I just don't deal with change well, I don't love it. So I don't want to think about that. I hope that's not the case but we'll see what happens." Kerr, now 60, has completed his 12th season with Golden State.
Over that span he compiled a 604‑353 record, guided the team to the NBA Finals in each of his first five seasons and added another appearance later, and even led USA Basketball to an Olympic gold medal at the Paris 2024 Games. His current contract is in its final year, which has fueled speculation about his long‑term future. Kerr said he will sit down with Warriors owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy in the coming weeks to discuss the next steps for both himself and the organization.
"We'll talk about what's next for the Warriors, what the plan is this offseason," Kerr told reporters. "And we will come to a collaborative decision on what's next.
I don't know what's going to happen. I still love coaching but I get it, these jobs all have an expiration date.
There's a run that happens, and when the run ends, sometimes it's time for new blood and new ideas and all that. If that's the case, then I will be just nothing but grateful for the most amazing opportunity any person could have to coach this franchise, in front of our fans in the Bay and to coach Steph Curry, to coach Dray and the whole group." While the Warriors contemplate their coaching future, other NBA storylines unfolded on the same night.
In the play‑in tournament, the Orlando Magic, led by 25‑point performance from Paolo Banchero, dispatched the Charlotte Hornets 121‑90, clinching the eighth seed for the postseason. Banchero contributed five rebounds and six assists, while Franz Wagner added 18 points on efficient shooting. Hornets guard LaMelo Ball topped his team with 23 points, but it was not enough to break a decade‑long playoff drought. The 2026 NBA playoffs kick off on Sky Sports this Sunday, April 19, with four live games on Sky Sports Action beginning at 6 p.m.
British Summer Time. The schedule is as follows: - 6 p.m.: Philadelphia 76ers (7) @ Boston Celtics (2) - 8:30 p.m.: Phoenix Suns (8) @ Oklahoma City Thunder (1) - 11 p.m.: Orlando Magic (8) @ Detroit Pistons (1) - 2 a.m.: Portland Trail Blazers (7) @ San Antonio Spurs (2) Sky Sports will also broadcast every Western Conference Finals game live from May 20 onward. The match‑ups for the conference finals are: - Oklahoma City Thunder (1) vs Phoenix Suns (8) - San Antonio Spurs (2) vs Portland Trail Blazers (7) - Denver Nuggets (3) vs Minnesota Timberwolves (6) - Los Angeles Lakers (4) vs Houston Rockets (5) - Detroit Pistons (1) vs Orlando Magic (8) - Boston Celtics (2) vs Philadelphia 76ers (7) - New York Knicks (3) vs Atlanta Hawks (6) - Cleveland Cavaliers (4) vs Toronto Raptors (5) Fans can watch the entire playoff run live on Sky Sports or stream without a contract via the NOW platform. As the Warriors decide whether to retain the architect of their recent dynasty, the broader NBA narrative continues to evolve, with new teams emerging, veteran stars seeking fresh challenges, and the ever‑present question of who will lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy at the end of the season.