The biggest item on the Warriors’ offseason to-do list is checked off. Ts crossed, Is dotted.

Steve Kerr is back on a two-year contract to continue to see the end of the Warriors’ golden era through. 

Just don’t call it a Last Dance. 

“It’s not just a one-year swan song ‘Last Dance’ type thing, like, hey, let’s ride off into the sunset,” GM Mike Dunleavy said. “That is 100% not what this is about. Steve will tell you. I’ll say it. Joe [Lacob] would not have been good with that. Nobody wants to do that. We got to get this thing right, and you know, we need a multi-year commitment. Steve unequivocally gave us that.” 

Kerr’s return represents a recommitment to the beating heart of the Warriors. There’s no better person to coach Draymond Green, to collaborate with Steph Curry, to represent the league’s biggest franchise in a moment of inflection. 

Invigorated by the club’s history, and by the thrilling play-in victory against the Clippers, Kerr is as energized as ever. He agonized for weeks over whether he wanted to continue his coaching career, and whether he’s still the right fit for Golden State. 

He’ll enter his 13th season as head coach with a mandate: reduce the Warriors’ turnovers, come Hell or high water. 

Golden State ranked 27th in turnovers per game, a figure that factored into Kerr’s harsh self evaluation. He spent the past few days watching all 1,229 turnovers on the season to diagnose pain points. 

Finding a way to reduce the Warriors’ miscues — and win the possession battle more often — is just one of a myriad of priorities this offseason. 

“We have a lot to figure out this summer,” Kerr said. 

That’s putting things lightly. 

The Warriors have to put together the majority of their roster, fill out their coaching staff, rethink their approach to in-season practice processes, make a draft pick, and maybe swing a trade or two. Chop chop, Dunleavy. 

Kerr has three vacancies on his staff to fill after Chris DeMarco left midseason for the New York Liberty and Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse departed. Kerr has already talked to a couple external candidates, and he’s also looking at promoting from within. Especially with the brain drain on the defensive end, he’ll seek at least one defensive-minded lieutenant. 

Green’s future must be addressed. “The ball is in his court,” Dunleavy said. He has a $27.6 million player option, and wants to finish his career in the Bay. The best way to do that may be to decline that lump sum and work with the front office to hammer out a multiyear deal at a lower annual number. 

Green, meanwhile, had the highest turnover ratio in the league among players who logged at least 25 minutes in 30 or more games (16.7%). 

“I am committed to coaching him, coaching Steph, obviously, for as long as they’re here,” Kerr said. “And I look at them as collaborators, and what we’ve built is pretty special. It’s so rare for a coach and two players to be together for 12 years as a trio. It’s remarkable really. I’m ready to coach Draymond.” 

Curry is eligible for an extension, which could only tack on an extra year to his deal that expires in 2027. He expressed interest in one, and Dunleavy reiterated that the franchise wants Curry to be a Warrior for as long as he wants. 

Curry will turn 39 years old next season, and Green is 36. Jimmy Butler will be 37 whenever he returns from his torn ACL, perhaps around December. 

The easiest way for the Warriors to get younger and more dynamic is with their 11th overall draft pick. 

Dunleavy said the team will look at all their options with the pick, from moving up or down in the draft to trading it for a veteran. But the class is loaded, and there will likely be prospects talented enough to contribute in the late lottery — especially on the wing, where Butler and Moses Moody’s injuries open up minutes. 

Kerr committed to playing whichever rookie the Warriors add. The Warriors must have the patience to let developing players play through inevitable mistakes, unlike when lottery picks were mostly along for the ride as the Warriors competed for championships. 

“We’re in a different place now,” Kerr said. 

The Warriors also have to figure out what to do with unrestricted free agents Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, and De’Anthony Melton. They each fit the description of players who could be on minute restrictions or may not be able to play back-to-backs — a dynamic Kerr highlighted as an area to improve upon. With so many such players in the rotation last year, it was difficult to develop continuity. 

There’s also Brandin Podziemski, the lone mainstay in the lineup. He was one of 18 players in the league to play in every game last season, and now he’s eligible for a rookie extension. The Warriors experienced what a restricted free agency can be like with Jonathan Kuminga last summer, and would probably prefer to avoid running that back. 

Practically each decision relates back to the turnover issue. Will Green return to the same playmaking role? How seamlessly can a rookie adjust to the NBA? Can more durable players create more continuity on the court? Can Podziemski continue to develop into a more reliable playmaker? Might more in-season walkthroughs, film sessions, or even physical quizzes help limit some mental mistakes? 

“I want to get better,” Kerr said. “I want to lay a stronger foundation for next season that will carry forward for years to come, beyond when I’m here. I think that’s important to the franchise. I know it’s important to Steph and Draymond and, frankly, this year I think we got a little away from that. We got a little too loose. Obviously literally loose with the ball. But I think we, because of our age, because of our injuries, we spent a lot of time kind of resting, and I got to tighten the ship up next year.” 

As Kerr and Dunleavy took the dais on Chase Center’s top floor event space, the bay glistened through floor-to-ceiling windows. But the Warriors’ sunniest days are behind them. Even a home run offseason wouldn’t change that reality. They’re never going to be considered favorites to win another title with this core, and Curry has already talked about recalibrating expectations to reflect that. 

The weight of history, of legacy, of expectations, of the standard the Warriors set over the past years, of the desire to compete now while developing the next wave. It’s all so complex. 

It’s hard to imagine someone more capable of wading through the thorny context than Kerr.

“I think this year [is] such an obvious inflection point for the franchise,” Kerr said. “It’s why we deliberated. It’s why we really gave it a lot of thought. I think, as I said, we came to a really clear path of let’s really recommit to this group and how we’re operating and what we’re trying to do and make sure our foundation is strong and that it’s setting up whatever is next, because we have to be looking forward.”