[new_royalslider id=”15″]
Steve Kerr has won five NBA championships under legendary coaches Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich. While playing under these coaches and working in the Phoenix Suns’ front office, he understands the psychological part of the game. Heading into his first season with the Warriors as the head coach, he’s already making an impact within the organization here at the NBA Summer League, but he must also make sure one of his key players is happy amidst all the trade speculation.
Join our Growing Facebook Fan Page @ Facebook.com/WarriorsWorld
Earlier in the offseason, the Warriors flirted with the idea of trading for superstar forward Kevin Love. In order for that trade to happen, the Warriors would need to ship Klay Thompson to go along with David Lee. While the rumor mill continues to spin, it becomes a tough time for players to deal with when it’s not in their control. Entering his fourth season, Thompson’s confidence will need stay elevated to produce as he has in the past and potentially take his game to the next level.
Even though Kerr has been busy coaching the Warriors in the NBA Summer League, he understands how much trade rumors can affect a young player. According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports, Kerr took the liberty to reach out to his young player and give him some positive feedback :
Source: GS coach Steve Kerr called Klay Thompson recently to reiterate how excited he is to coach him & added not worry about trade rumors.
— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) July 15, 2014
Being a former player has helped Coach Kerr relate to his players and Thompson has been in a roller coaster of emotions as of late. Kerr’s support for Thompson is no surprise, he was one of the people in the franchise that disagreed with including Thompson in any kind of deal this summer. Most believe Thompson is the missing piece to finally make this deal happen, but at this point the Warriors have made it clear that they are not parting with their rising star. According to Marc Stein of ESPN, the Warriors and Timberwolves have never stopped discussing the possibility of making a trade happen:
ESPN linkage from earlier today: Wolves & Warriors aren’t making progress but also never stopped talking Kevin Love – http://t.co/Th9fm52l6y
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 16, 2014
This should be encouraging to Warriors fans. After LeBron James decided to go back home, many believed Love would be the next piece to fall. Love has expressed interest in playing in Cleveland, but the Cavs might not be willing to part with Andrew Wiggins. After the Warriors were the clear favorites to land Love this off-season, has suddenly turned into a two man race. Ultimately, the Timberwolves could hang on to Love until the February trade deadline, but the longer they wait, the more leverage they lose in the process.