Report: Alvin Gentry is headed to Golden State as assistant coach

According to several sources, Alvin Gentry is headed to the Golden State Warriors.

This news comes as surprise to few. In the last few weeks, the Warriors, along with other several other teams, sought after Gentry in regards to a coaching job. Unlike the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers, the Warriors were unable to offer Gentry a head-coaching position following the Steve Kerr hiring, but a seat alongside him was readily available if Gentry chose to accept the gig.

And that he did.

While he’s leaving the comforts of Doc Rivers, Alvin Gentry will walk into a position where he’s comfortable with parties involved. During Gentry’s tenure as head coach of the Phoenix Suns, Steve Kerr was the general manager of the franchise. While Kerr stepped down as general manager, Gentry would remain as coach, but the two built a relationship that lingered past that.

“There are a lot of relationships that are very important,” said Kerr following Phoenix’s time as general manager.  “That’s a big one. … Given where we were when he took over, I feel like I owe everything to him, the job he did to resurrect this team. He’s the guy who returned this team to our rightful place.”

With Kerr in as a first-time head coach, Gentry will be tasked to help Kerr out in a way similar to what Lawrence Frank was intended to do with Jason Kidd. Obviously that relationship didn’t work out as intended, but with Kerr and Gentry having a relationship, they could make things work.