What's next for Warriors? Steve Kerr's future most pressing question

TheGolden State Warriorsended their seasonwith a 111-96 lossto the Phoenix Suns on April 18 in the NBA Play-In Tournament.

After finishing the regular season with a 37-45 overall record and getting bounced in the postseason's qualifying round, the Warriors enter the offseason with a number of questions that need to be answered.

With franchise cornerstone Stephen Curry in the twilight of his career, the Warriors should look to improve their team to maintain a competitive nature in the latter part of his NBA tenure.

Here's what they need to consider this summer now that their offseason has commenced:

As the NBA Play‑In Tournament unfolds, every possession carries extra weight with postseason spots on the line.

See the action and emotion from across the tournament as teams battle through high‑stakes games.

Above, LaMelo Ball #1 celebrates with Coby White #3 of the Charlotte Hornets in overtime against the Miami Heat during their game at Spectrum Center on April 14, 2026, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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NBA Play-In Tournament photos showcase final push to the postseason

As theNBA Play‑In Tournamentunfolds, every possession carries extra weight with postseason spots on the line.See the action and emotion from across the tournament as teams battle through high‑stakes games.Above, LaMelo Ball #1 celebrates with Coby White #3 of the Charlotte Hornets in overtime against the Miami Heat during their game at Spectrum Center on April 14, 2026, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Questions about contracts

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr had an embrace with Curry and Draymond Green as the elimination play-in game against the Suns started to wind down. It was an emotional moment because it could be the final embrace those three have as coach and players as Kerr's contract expires this summer.

According to audio captured by Prime Video, Kerr told Green and Curry, "I don't know what's going to happen next, but I love you guys to death. Thank you. I appreciate you."

Kerr was named Warriors head coach in 2014 and has coached the franchise to four championships. As questions loom about his future, Kerr is forever stamped in the Bay Area as the coach of a dynasty. But he told reporters that he doesn't know what his future holds, and understands that when dynasties come to an end changes are made, especially regarding who is at the helm.

"I don't know what's going to happen. I still love coaching. But I get it. These jobs all have an expiration date," Kerr said.

Curry said he wants his longtime coach to "be happy."

"I want him to be excited about the job. I want him to believe he's the right guy for the job. I want him to have an opportunity to, again, enjoy what he does. Whatever that means for him," Curry said. "Everybody's plan is their own.

"I'm not going to try and tell anybody what to do. He knows how I feel about him. Shouldn't even need to be said. However it goes, you're thankful for what we've been able to accomplish over this run. Thankful for an opportunity to hopefully put it together, do something again next year.

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"I just want coach to be able to look at the situation as a whole and feel like he's the right guy."

The team also has to decide whether to exercise a team option on Brandin Podziemski, while Al Horford and De'Anthony Melton have more leverage with player options.

Kristaps Porzingis, who was acquired from the Atlanta Hawks in a trade, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. He has made indications that he wants to be back in the Bay, andreports have said the Warriors are interested, as well.

Other expiring contracts include Gary Payton II, Quinten Post, Seth Curry and Pat Spencer.

An area to watch for are players signed through 2027. Current contracts on the Warriors expected to expire after next season include Curry, Green (he holds a player option) and Butler.

Curry said he wants to play several more years and would be interested in an extension but hasn't had those conversations with the Warriors.

"(Will) be a busy summer for the Warriors," Curry said.

Which free agents do the Warriors sign, seek out?

With the understanding that next season could be the final hurrah as Curry and Green have expiring contracts, the Warriors' brass of Joe Lacob and Mike Dunleavy Jr. will have to put something together to make themselves a contender again, especially in the twilight of Curry's career.

Golden State pursued Giannis Antetokounmpo during the regular season near the trade deadline, so maybe the Warriors renew conversations with Milwaukee.

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard has had his name swirl around the rumor mill following their loss to Golden State, being eliminated from the NBA Play-In Tournament. With the Aspiration still looming in the background, maybe Golden State pounces on the opportunity to swindle the Clips.

Per ESPN's Anthony Slater, the Warriors currently have the 11th spot in the lottery with a 9.4% chance of getting a top-four pick.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Warriors eliminated from NBA playoffs contention: What's next?

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

April 18, 2026

What's next for Warriors? Steve Kerr's future most pressing question

TheGolden State Warriorsended their seasonwith a 111-96 lossto the Phoenix Suns on April 18 in the NBA Play-In Tournament. After ...

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From backlash to Pacific title: The Golden Knights’ Tortorella gamble paying off so far

LAS VEGAS (AP) — General manager Kelly McCrimmon was walking away from the Golden Knights' locker room Monday night after avictory over the Jets, but he could have easily reversed course and done a victory lap in front of the assembled media.

Golden Knights Canucks Hockey

McCrimmon probably would say it's too early to celebrate because the NHL playoffs have yet to begin, and that will be the true measure of how successful Vegas' season is viewed.

But it's difficult to argue his controversial decision March 29 tofire popular and successful coach Bruce Cassidyand hireJohn Tortorellahasn't worked out.

Going into its playoff opener at home Sunday against Utah, Vegas is 7-0-1 under the fiery coach known as Torts. A team struggling to hang on to a playoff spot just wonthe Pacific Divisionfor the fifth time in their nine years.

Top center Jack Eichel, who had 90 points for the second consecutive season, said Tortorella injected confidence in a team that was lacking it just three years afterwinning the Stanley Cup.

“Sometimes you need a reminder,” Eichel said. “He saw we have a really good hockey team in here and we need to believe in ourselves and in each other. That's the first step to being a great hockey team is believing in ourselves. I think you've started to see that the last few weeks. We started to build more confidence in each other and our game.”

The 67-year-old Tortorella, who led the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup title in 2004, said at his introductory news conference that he wouldn't overload the team with information and make massive changes. It's a strategy he's stuck to since then.

“I knew it was a good team coming in,” Tortorella said this week. “I know it was coached well prior to me. I had some points of emphasis, probably three or four, that I want to bring across to them. We've done that. I think they feel good about themselves. When you win some games, you feel good about yourself, and hopefully we keep on building on that.”

Tortorella made two notable changes that have worked.

One was to create a more aggressive north-south game. Vegas went from scoring 3.12 goals per game and allowing 3.07 to outscoring opponents on average 4.13 to 1.88.

“Attack the games. Put pressure on the other team,” Eichel said.

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The other move was to go with Carter Hart as his primary goalie. Cassidy installed Adin Hill in that role down the stretch, but Tortorella coached Hart in Philadelphia and has spoken glowingly about him. Tortorella said Hart was carrying the Flyers into contender status in 2024 before he was suspended by the NHL as one of five 2018 Canada world junior hockey players accused in a high-profile sexual assault case.

Theywere acquittedlast July. The league reinstated those players beginning Dec. 1 and the Golden Knightsgave Hart a chance. He has delivered under Tortorella's watch, going 6-0 with a .930 save percentage and a 1.66 goals-against average.

“I think he looks dialed in,” Tortorella said. “I just think he's making saves. He just looks confident, and hopefully that'll continue. I think Hilly's last couple of starts, he's made some really good saves also. So going into the playoffs, if both of them are going well, that's a good thing for us.”

McCrimmon said the decision to fire Cassidy was a difficult one, especially since the coach was responsible for the organization's only Stanley Cup and they were consistently on the same page. But the GM said the season and its playoff chances appeared to be slipping away and there was little time to wait. He knew the decision would be criticized but that wasn't the point.

“When we've changed coaches along the way — I'm going to say each time — it was likely viewed in this room as being unpopular or not the right time,” McCrimmon said March 30 at a news conference. “And I think in each case, the decisions were good ones.”

The decisions to fire Gerard Gallant in 2020, Pete DeBoer in 2022 and Cassidy this year — all with winning playoff records — were met with wide skepticism but management largely got the results they desired.

That includes with Tortorella, but the postseason is coming.

Then the true verdict will be delivered.

So the victory lap is on hold — for now.

AP NHL:https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

April 18, 2026

From backlash to Pacific title: The Golden Knights’ Tortorella gamble paying off so far

LAS VEGAS (AP) — General manager Kelly McCrimmon was walking away from the Golden Knights' locker room Monday night after avictory ...

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Iranian soccer players in Australia thankful for 'safe haven'

Two members of the Iranian women's soccer team who were granted asylum in Australia last month, released a joint statement Friday thanking the Australian government for assistance with "the process of rebuilding our lives."

Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh were the only two of seven members of the Iran traveling party who remained in Australia after the group first sought asylum during the Asian Cup tournament. Four players and one staff member ultimately returned to Iran.

During their time in Australia so far, both players had the chance to train with A-League team Brisbane Roar FC.

"At this stage, our primary focus is on our safety, our health and beginning the process of rebuilding our lives," the pair said in a statement released through the Australian Associated Press. "We are elite athletes, and it remains our dream to continue our sporting careers here in Australia."

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Pasandideh and Ramezanisadeh thanked the Australian government, in particular home affairs minister Tony Burke, for providing "a safe haven in this beautiful country."

The team arrived in Australia in late February, just before the United States and Israel began air strikes against Iran. The team did not sing the words to the Iranian national anthem before a March 2 game against South Korea, setting off a controversy back home, but sang the words in subsequent games.

"We've been working very, very closely with them, but obviously this is a very complex situation," Matt Thistlethwaite, an assistant immigration minister for Australia, told Sky News last month. "... They're being given all the support of the Australian government and indeed the diaspora community to remain here and settle in Australia."

--Field Level Media

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

April 18, 2026

Iranian soccer players in Australia thankful for 'safe haven'

Two members of the Iranian women's soccer team who were granted asylum in Australia last month, released a joint statement Friday t...

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Nuggets center Nikola Jokic surges into playoffs after a scary knee injury and historic season

DENVER (AP) — Around playoff time,Nikola Jokicalways looks to make a big splash — on the court, obviously, but also in the water.

Nuggets Spurs Basketball

The Denver Nuggets do-it-all center typically opens his swimming pool at this point of the year — weather permitting — for he and his kids to have some fun. Turns out, floating around in between lofting floaters is the perfect way for him to take a break from the pressure of leading the team on a title chase.

Jokic and the Nuggets earned the No. 3 seed with a 54-win season and will face a familiar foe inAnthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolvesduring a first-round series that starts Saturday.

Statisticallyand physically, this has been a season unlike any other for Jokic.

On the numbers side, Jokic became the first player to lead the league in both rebounds and assists per game since 1969-70, when leaders were crowned through per-game averages. Wilt Chamberlain was tops in both categories in 1967-68, back when leaders were determined by totals.

On the health side, the three-time MVP endured the first major injury of his NBA career. He missed16 games in late December/Januarywith a hyperextended left knee. The team went 10-6 in his absence.

“It’s not a difficult year, but an inconsistent year, with the injuries, with the lineups, with everything,” explained Jokic, who averaged a triple-double (27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists) for a second straight season. “We still managed to be one of the top teams. That’s something telling about this team, and the group that we have in the locker room. We definitely show ourselves that we can answer to anything, and hopefully we’re going find a way and in the playoffs when the moment is big.”

The Nuggets enter with a wave of confidence, too, riding a 12-game winning streak. Ask him about it and his humor shines through.

“It's definitely better than a 12-game losing streak,” Jokic said. “When you’re playing well, everybody’s feeling good.”

A point guard at center

Jokic notched 34 triple-doubles in 65 games this season. That includes a memorable performance on Christmas Day against the Timberwolves, when he erupted for 56 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assistsin a 142-138 overtimewin.

“It’ll probably take a little bit of everything," Timberwolves forward Julius Randle said of guarding Jokic. “Probably got to call God and talk to him for a little bit and ask him for a few favors. ... He’s an incredible player. He does so much on the floor for that team.”

The 6-foot-11, 284-pound Jokic sees the floor through the prism of a point guard, with low-post moves few can stop and range extending past the 3-point line.

“He’s a joy to watch," said San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson, whose team could face the Nuggets in the second round. “He’s just so unique in so many ways.”

His teammates insist they don't take Jokic's production night in and night out for granted. Jokic's 198 career triple-doubles trail only former teammate Russell Westbrook (209). Jokic's 21 postseason triple-doubles are behind only Magic Johnson (30) and LeBron James (28).

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“Nothing has shocked me this year,” said teammate Christian Braun, who was a rookie when the Nuggets won the franchise's first NBA title in 2023. “But that’s probably not the right way to say it. Everything (Jokic) does shocks me. Every time I watch him, he shocks me."

Close call

The Nuggets exhaled in relief when they found out Jokic would only miss a few weeks after being hurt in Miami on Dec. 29. It was a scary scene: Jokic falling to the floor and grabbing at his knee after stepping on Spencer Jones’ foot.

Since his return on Jan. 30, he's missed one game. That run of good health allowed him to reach the 65-game threshold and become eligible for awards.

“He’s in a great place," Nuggets coach David Adelman said, "physically and mentally.”

Getting everyone involved

Jokic's hallmark is getting everyone involved. It might be a pass to Cam Johnson on the wing or setting picks to spring Jamal Murray for a drive or finding Aaron Gordon for an open look.

“We need everybody,” Jokic explained. “Everybody needs to step up.”

Adelman remains perplexed as to why Jokic doesn't receive more MVP buzz. The current odds favor Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to win again.

“I would say what stands out to me is how much he has not been talked about,” Adelman said. “I think it’s absolutely insane. I have no idea what the narrative is and why."

Jokic has certainly earned the respect of Minnesota big man Rudy Gobert.

“Whatever he does, he plays to win. He’s selfless," Gobert said. "He’s just here to show up, help his team win and go home. I like that. I respect that.”

AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell in Minneapolis and Associated Press freelance writer Raul Dominguez in San Antonio contributed to this report.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

April 17, 2026

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic surges into playoffs after a scary knee injury and historic season

DENVER (AP) — Around playoff time,Nikola Jokicalways looks to make a big splash — on the court, obviously, but also in the water. ...

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Demi Lovato reunites with Selena Gomez, Joe Jonas at tour's first show

Demi Lovatokicked off her new tour by going down memory lane with two Disney Channel reunions.

The "Heartattack" singer reunited with her "Princess Protection Program" costarSelena Gomezand "Camp Rock" costarJoe Jonasat an April 13 show at the Kia Center in Orlando.

Lovato and Jonas, who briefly dated in 2010, performed a surprise duet of their "Camp Rock" classic "This Is Me" for the first of 18 shows, part of her "It’s Not That Deep" tour. Lovato was previously a surprise guest at the opening concert for the "Jonas20"anniversary tourat New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on Aug. 10, where they also sang "This Is Me."

Though Gomez did not join the pair on stage, she was notably in attendance, singing Lovato's praises on social media.

"I am in tears,” Gomez wrote in herInstagram Storyon April 13, tagging Lovato. "This was hands down one of the best shows. Oh and the VOCALS? Psh *blown away."

The "Only Murders In The Building" actor then shared a photo of the pair embracing and posing backstage.

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Gomez also shared a photo of her in the audience, dancing and wearing an "It's Not That Deep" merchandise hoodie.

Demi Lovato andSelena Gomezfriendship

Before they were pop stars, Lovato and Gomez were costars at age 7 on "Barney and Friends" for two seasons.

Their paths crossed on Disney Channel, where Gomez starred in the show "Wizards of Waverly Place" while Lovato starred in the "Camp Rock" movie franchise and the "Sonny with the Chance" sitcom.

The pair costarred in "Princess Protection Program," a Disney Channel original movie, in 2009, the same year Gomez made a guest appearance on "Sonny With a Chance."

Though the duo seemed to have drifted apart as adults. In a 2014 episode of "Watch What Happens Live," Lovato explained to Andy Cohen why she chose to unfollow Gomez on X (known as Twitter at the time), saying, "I think it’s just one of those things where people changed and people grow apart."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Demi Lovato reunites with Selena Gomez, Joe Jonas at tour's first show

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

April 17, 2026

Demi Lovato reunites with Selena Gomez, Joe Jonas at tour's first show

Demi Lovatokicked off her new tour by going down memory lane with two Disney Channel reunions. The "Heartattack" singer...

Read More