UPDATE, 5:51 PM: According to Adrian Wojnarowski and Johnny Ludden of Yahoo! Sports, the impetus behind Kerr’s departure was that Suns owner Robert Sarver asked Kerr to take a 10 percent pay cut.
ORIGINAL POST, 4:07 PM:
In a surprise move, Steve Kerr is stepping down as president and general manager of the Phoenix Suns at the end of the month.
Kerr has been in the post three years, and according to Paul Coro at the Arizona Republic had planned to return as of just a few weeks ago. But then he started negotiating a new deal just as Doug Collins left being a TNT analyst to coach the Philadelphia 76ers.
Kerr had been a TNT analyst, and is expected to return to that job.
Kerr lives in San Diego but had been commuting to Phoenix for this job. His son will be a high school senior next season (and is a basketball player drawing college interest).
Kerr helped set up Robert Sarver buying the team and is part owner of the Suns. Three years ago he stepped into a role as general manager straight from the analysts booth.
His first moves were questionable -- brining in Shaquille O’Neal to try and bring size and defense to the run-and-gun Suns of Mike D’Antoni. Didn’t work, it just turned out to be an anchor that dragged the team down. As did the Terry Porter era as the Suns tried the fit the round peg of their roster into the square hole of a more traditional offense.
But Kerr learned. He adapted. He gave Alvin Gentry the job and brought in players to help the Suns run again. This year they ran all the way to the Western Conference finals.
Kerr has yet to comments on the move, as has Sarver.