The NBA season has wrapped up for 14 teams, including the Golden State Warriors.
With the Warriors missing the playoffs, there could be changes ahead this offseason, including the potential departure of head coach Steve Kerr.
Kerr’s contract expires at the end of the season, and if the Warriors can’t reach a deal with him or he doesn’t want to return, they could look to pivot to a great college head coach.
Todd Golden Could be a Candidate For The Warriors
Yahoo Sports NBA insider Kevin O’Connor reported on Monday that Florida head coach Todd Golden might be a candidate to replace Kerr.
“If Steve Kerr leaves, the Warriors will pursue Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden, according to my league sources, O’Connor said on his podcast, “The Kevin O’Connor Show.” “And within that ESPN story, they mentioned they might look at the college ranks. Golden is the coach that they’re targeting, and that’s in part because the Lacob family has a relationship with him. Golden was the head coach of the San Francisco Dons for three years before he went to Florida and won a national title there.
”They, they’ve been together. They’ve, they’ve had lunches together.
Those guys know each other, and Golden is a very, very talented young head coach. And so I think for the Warriors, Golden would be near the top of their list, if not at the top of the list.”
Golden has served as a head coach at the college level for seven seasons, including three years at San Francisco. In his final season there, he posted a 24-10 record, which ultimately led to an offer of the head coaching position in Florida.
Since Golden arrived in Florida in 2022, the Gators have become one of the best teams in college basketball, clinching the 2024-25 NCAA Tournament title.
Golden Has a Huge Buyout With Florida
It seems that Golden and the Warriors have a relationship that could benefit him if he’s aiming to make it to the NBA.
However, there’s a chance that Golden may not want to leave Florida, and O’Connor isn’t certain if Golden is ready to part ways with the Gators.
“The thing is, would Golden even wanna leave the Gators? He has a great situation there in Florida,” O’Connor added. “They’re one year removed from a national title. No guarantee he’d wanna be going to an uncertain situation with the Golden State Warriors.”
Even if Golden wants to pursue a career in the NBA, he may face challenges if the Warriors are not willing to buy out his contract. Golden is currently under contract for a six-year, $40.5 million deal that runs through 2031. If he decides to take another job this offseason, including a position in the NBA, Florida would need to refund $16 million in a buyout.
One significant reason why a school like North Carolina, which had a coaching vacancy this offseason, couldn’t pursue him is the hefty buyout. Yet NBA owners have plenty of money, so they could easily afford such an investment.
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