Steve Kerr is staying put. The Golden State Warriors head coach agreed to a two-year contract extension on Saturday, ending speculation that he might jump to the broadcast booth. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the deal keeps Kerr as the highest-paid coach in the NBA, with his previous salary of approximately $17.5 million per year expected to be surpassed.

But here's where it gets interesting: ESPN reportedly offered Kerr up to $7 million annually to join their network. Tim Kawakami of the San Francisco Standard revealed that the sports media giant was "aggressively" pursuing Kerr and was willing to meet almost any condition he set—including an exemption from appearing on hot-take panel shows. That's a rare concession for a network that thrives on debate-driven programming.

ESPN's willingness to bend its own rules shows just how badly they wanted Kerr. The network has struggled to find a consistent lead broadcast team for the NBA Finals, using a fourth different lineup in as many years. Since parting ways with Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson in 2023, ESPN has been searching for a signature pairing to rival NBC's Mike Tirico and Reggie Miller or Prime Video's Ian Eagle and Stan Van Gundy. Kerr, who called NBA games for TNT from 2003-2007 and again from 2011-2015 before taking the Warriors job, seemed like the perfect fit.

Instead, Kerr will continue to lead Golden State for at least two more seasons, leaving ESPN to keep looking for its next big broadcasting star.