Warriors GM optimistic on Steve Kerr, Klay Thompson extensions

Warriors coach Steve Kerr says he’s not concerned about coaching in the final year of his contract and anticipates he’ll be with the organization for the long haul, Anthony Slater of The Athletic reports.

“I feel great about my position here and I want to be here … I’m not stressed about it at all,” Kerr said during a press conference on Monday. “I’m perfectly capable of coaching whether I have one year left or an extension. Makes no difference but I fully expect to be here.”

Shooting guard Klay Thompson is also in the final year of his contract. He’ll make $43,219,440 during the upcoming season.

GM Mike Dunleavy is optimistic he can reach agreements with both Kerr and Thompson, Warriors on NBCS reports.

“On both sides, there’s a desire to extend or be back, to make sure those guys are with the Golden State Warriors moving forward,” Dunleavy said. “Both sides feel that way and when you’re working off of that idea, you can come to a deal.”

Dunleavy, who also held a press conference, added that there’s “no specific timeline” to reach extension deals with Kerr and Thompson.

In a story written by Slater prior to the press conferences, it’s anticipated that negotiations with the head coach will be less complicated since there are no luxury tax concerns with coaching salaries.

No official offers or counteroffers have been made from either side regarding an extension for Thompson, Slater reports. However, neither side is in a hurry to get something done. Slater anticipates that talks will heat up prior to the season.

Golden State is intent on not hitting the second tax apron next summer, which makes those negotiations trickier. In consultation with The Athletic’s cap expert Danny Leroux, Slater estimates that Thompson could be offered anywhere from around $42M to approximately $51.9M as a starting salary, but would be taking a risk if they go much above $42M since they won’t know the actual cap increase until after the season.

If they don’t reach an extension agreement, they’d risk losing one of their longtime core pieces.