Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors decided that they still have another journey to embark upon. But before that, was the 60-year-old veteran coach looking at a different path? Maybe, taking the role of an analyst on ESPN for a $7 million deal? The simple answer is no.
After Tim Kawakami’s report on Saturday, ESPN content president Burke Magnus tweeted, “For anyone that may care, this is not true. @awfulannouncing @bkoo.” Now, insider David Samson, on his podcast, explained why the network debunked the rumors. “When you are Mr. Magnus, you come out on Twitter to say, ‘Yo, no offer made to Steve Kerr of any kind.’ That is coming out on Twitter and purposefully debunking a rumor where its truth is not relevant. Its perception is crushing. Why?” Samson said.
“Because every other analyst currently employed by ESPN looks at Steve Kerr and says, ‘You’re giving him $7 million. I’ve been around for 10 years longer. I’m way better,” he went on. “I may even be a coach, a former coach. I may even have a ring, and I’m not in the neighborhood of seven million.’ It is aggravation that ESPN doesn’t need because it didn’t happen.”
ESPN had zero hesitation in handing Joe Buck and Troy Aikman a massive multi-year deal on March 16, 2022. Prying the iconic duo away after 20 seasons as Fox’s top NFL broadcast team. Consequently, they became the new faces of Monday Night Football starting in the 2022 NFL season. While also joining ESPN+ projects.
That move proved one thing clearly: ESPN will spend big when the target feels worth it. However, chasing a star you may never land creates internal tension, especially when other longtime analysts start questioning why one outsider commands $7 million-level money. Yet, Steve Kerr’s broadcasting future feels like a full-scale bidding war waiting to explode. Because every network with NBA rights wants premium star power. Therefore, ESPN remains firmly in the race, although money will likely decide everything.
John Skipper’s old philosophy still hangs over these negotiations: beat every rival by $1 and secure the talent. So, if one network throws $7 million on the table and another counters with $7 million and a dollar, Kerr will probably follow the bigger number. In today’s media game, that logic feels perfectly normal.
ESPN’s rumored $7 million offer for Steve Kerr
Questions around Steve Kerr’s future with the Warriors grew louder as his potential 13th season on the sidelines remained uncertain. Meanwhile, ESPN reportedly saw an opening and chased the four-time champion coach for television. Tim Kawakami of the San Francisco Standard revealed the network’s proposed analyst package could have climbed to a staggering $7 million annually. Therefore, the rumor mill exploded because Kerr suddenly looked like a man balancing two elite worlds: championship basketball and blockbuster broadcasting money.
But those were rumors, and now Burke Magnus has debunked them. Meanwhile, Coach Kerr and the Warriors decided on a 13th and 14th season. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the new deal will keep him the highest-paid coach in the NBA moving forward.
Steve Kerr already reset the NBA coaching market in Feb. 2024 after agreeing to a 2-year, $35 million extension worth a jaw-dropping $17.5 million annually. The 60-year-old became the league’s highest-paid coach ever. However, Golden State’s latest extension talks appear even richer, which has only fueled curiosity around the final number. For now, the exact value remains hidden, although expectations continue rising because Kerr’s price tag keeps climbing with his championship pedigree.
Steve Kerr never truly looked ready to leave the Warriors bench, even while the television rumors kept growing louder. Meanwhile, ESPN moved quickly to shut down the speculation before it created frustration inside the network. However, the entire saga exposed one reality clearly: Kerr remains one of the most valuable names in basketball. So, the Dubs locked him in again, while the media world continues waiting for the day he finally steps away from coaching.
