Three NBA teams are down 2-0. Who can still save the season?
In the NBA playoffs, three teams will play each other with 0 wins and 2 losses. Which candidates still have a way to return to the series, and who feels like the season is already over?
The Golden State Warriors appear ready to fight back — at least one key piece of the puzzle is reportedly locked in place.
Steve Kerr has agreed to return as the team’s head coach after both sides agreed to a two-year contract extension, his agent told ESPN. According to a report by ESPN, Kerr will remain the highest-paid coach in the NBA on an annual basis.
This came after weeks of speculation that Mr Kerr was considering resigning. Kerr’s contract was about to expire and he was in talks with the Warriors about his future with the team.
“I still love coaching, but I understand that,” Kerr told reporters after the Warriors lost in the play-in tournament. “All of these jobs have an expiration date. There’s always a run, and when the run ends, you might need new blood, new ideas, etc.”
In fact, in the final minutes of the Warriors’ season-ending game against the Phoenix Suns on April 18, Kerr hugged Stephen Curry and Draymond Green on the sideline.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen next,” Kerr was heard telling the star players over an Amazon Prime Video microphone. “But I love you guys. Thank you.”
This is a clear indication that the Warriors are looking to make another comeback with Stephen Curry (age 38), Jimmy Butler (age 36), and Draymond Green (age 36), all of whose contracts expire in 2026-2027, assuming Green exercises his player option.
Green could decline his option and seek a multi-year deal, but the Warriors will need to carefully consider his future after the next two seasons.
It also shows that Kerr and the Warriors feel they can win. Kerr probably doesn’t want to be part of the rebuild. And in a similar vein, if the Warriors are looking to build for the future, they probably want to bring in a coach earlier in his career than the 60-year-old Kerr.
Either way, the Warriors will need to add some pieces to remain competitive in the Western Conference.
Butler suffered a torn ACL in January and his status for the start of the 2026-27 season may be in doubt. Either way, Golden State general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. could use this closing period to compete to acquire a star, as it has become clear that this Warriors roster is lacking.
The Warriors were rumored to be signing Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo before February’s trade deadline, and Golden State could be involved again in the acquisition as Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee will be evaluated this offseason.
Either way, one thing that could be beneficial for the Warriors is if Kerr can develop and advance young players.
Since taking over in 2014, Kerr’s record with Golden State is 604-353 (.631). He is the second-longest tenured active head coach in the NBA, behind Erik Spoelstra, who has been the head coach of the Miami Heat since 2008.
The 2025-26 season marked the first time in Kerr’s 12 years that the Warriors lost an 82-game season (37-45). Golden State went 15-50 in 2019-20, but played only 65 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aside from winning five rings as a player with the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs, Kerr won four NBA championships as head coach of the Warriors.
Kerr took over from former head coach Mark Jackson in 2014-15 and led Golden State to the Finals in his first year. In the end, the Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, ending a 40-year title drought. The following year, the team won a regular-season record 73 games, but ultimately lost the Finals rematch to the Cavs in seven games after Golden State blew a 3-1 lead.
That offseason, the Warriors signed Kevin Durant to change the balance of power in the NBA, winning back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018, but losing their three-peat to the Toronto Raptors in 2019.
The Warriors won their most recent championship in 2022.
