ESPN offered Steve Kerr over $7M per year and made him exempt from any “hot take” shows, per @timkawakami
Kerr declined and is now the highest paid coach in the NBA.
Getty
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 17: Head coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors reacts during the first half of an NBA play-in tournament game against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 17, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Golden State Warriors locked up Steve Kerr on a new two-year deal over the weekend, keeping the 60-year-old head coach in place for what will be his 13th season with the franchise. The deal makes Kerr the highest-paid coach in the NBA and puts an end to three weeks of uncertainty that had the basketball world speculating about his future.
What was not known until now is what Kerr was reportedly walking away from to make it happen.
New reporting has shed light on the outside offers that were reportedly on the table during his deliberation, and at least one of them was significant.
GettyHead coach Steve Kerr speaks to Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
According to Tim Kawakami of the San Francisco Standard, ESPN was particularly interested in bringing Kerr on as an analyst. The network reportedly made an aggressive push to make it happen. As Kawakami reported: “ESPN was especially aggressive about the chase, probably offering up to $7 million per.” The offer reportedly came with favorable conditions attached. That included a commitment to keep Kerr away from high-volume panel programming and focus his role on more substantive analysis.
The level of interest is not surprising. Kerr has broadcast experience, having worked as a color commentator for TNT before taking the Warriors job in 2014. He is one of the most respected voices in the sport. Four championships and over a decade of elite coaching give him instant credibility in any media role. A transition to broadcasting would have made sense on paper.
It reportedly never came close to happening in practice.
ESPN offered Steve Kerr over $7M per year and made him exempt from any “hot take” shows, per @timkawakami
Kerr declined and is now the highest paid coach in the NBA.
Despite the reported aggressive pursuit from ESPN, the offer apparently had no bearing on how Kerr or the Warriors approached their conversations. ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel reported that potential positions outside of Golden State never surfaced in internal discussions, and that “rumors surrounding potential media giants pursuing Kerr held zero influence on internal discussions.“
The Warriors knew what they wanted. Kerr knew what he wanted. The ESPN offer was reportedly a reminder of the options available to him, not a genuine fork in the road.
Kerr ultimately agreed to terms that will keep him as the highest-paid coach in the league, continuing a partnership with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green that has defined one of the most successful dynasties in NBA history.
ESPN reportedly made its move. Kerr said no. The Warriors got their coach back.
For a franchise trying to squeeze every last drop out of the Curry era, that is exactly the outcome they needed.
Now the real work begins.
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