The Golden State Warriors are heading into the summer minus their top two assistants, with Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse telling the team they will not be back next season. The exits come on the heels of a disappointing 37-win season and a quick play-in exit, stripping Steve Kerr’s front-of-bench group just after he agreed to stay on for two more years. The timing leaves the franchise staring at a pivotal offseason of staff auditions and roster moves around Stephen Curry.
Stotts spent the past two seasons as Kerr’s lead assistant and offensive coordinator, bringing nearly three decades of coaching experience, including a long run as Portland’s head coach. He informed team leaders late in the regular season that he did not plan to return, saying he “enjoyed my time with Steve, the staff and players,” according to ABC7 San Francisco. Stackhouse, hired in July 2024 to run the defense after five seasons as Vanderbilt’s head coach, plans to actively chase head-coaching opportunities elsewhere, the report adds. Kris Weems is expected to stay on staff while the organization begins its search for new lead assistants.
What It Means For Kerr And The Offseason
With his new two-year contract in place, Kerr will be juggling a bench reconstruction at the same time the front office works to reshape the roster through free agency and the draft, local reporting says. NBC Bay Area reported that Kerr’s deal cleared the way for management to start in on active roster work, and league insiders expect Golden State to audition multiple candidates for the top assistant spots in the weeks ahead. The departures are an early signal that the franchise is shifting from postmortem to action.
Where Stotts And Stackhouse Could Land
Both coaches hit the market with fresh NBA experience and high-visibility résumés, Stotts as an offensive architect and Stackhouse as a defensive voice, which should appeal to teams looking for proven coordinators or head-coach candidates, per ABC7 San Francisco. Meanwhile, the Warriors are expected to weigh a mix of in-house continuity options and external hires as they map out a new look for Kerr’s bench. How quickly those roles are filled could influence Golden State’s ability to land impact players this summer.
