Kerr: Warriors can't re-sign Cousins, want to get him a ring

Steve Kerr is a realist.

The Golden State Warriors head coach knows his star-laden team will be unable to retain four-time All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins after this season.

“We made no bones about it when we signed him," Kerr said Thursday, according to The Mercury News' Logan Murdock. "This is a one-year deal and we're not going to have money to sign him next year so we'd like to help him win a championship and sign a great contract somewhere else. That's the reality."

Cousins signed a one-year contract worth $5.3 million after suffering a torn Achilles in February, evidently hoping to re-establish his value before seeking out a lucrative deal with a more substantial length in summer 2019.

However, the Warriors are already over the projected 2019-20 salary cap of $109 million after accounting for a new deal for impending free-agent shooting guard Klay Thompson. Barring the implosion of the Warriors' title-winning core four - Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Thompson - Golden State would be restricted to offering Cousins a similarly underwhelming one-year deal.

Cousins still has a way to go with his ongoing rehab before being able to contribute to the Warriors' second straight title defense. The 6-foot-11 big man has yet to make his season debut and the timetable for his return remains undetermined.