Warriors Owner Joe Lacob Says Team Wants Jerry West Back, Have Talked Contract

Golden State Warriors majority owner Joe Lacob expressed his hope the team can reach a new contract with Jerry West, whose deal with the Warriors expires this summer.

"His contract is up, as you know," Lacob said, per the Mercury News' Tim Kawakami. "We have met; we have discussed the future. And it's really something that I'm sure at the end of the season we will return to and figure out what Jerry wants to do."

Lacob added that the Warriors "would love him back [beyond this season], and we've made that known."

West is a member of Golden State's executive board, having joined the team in May 2011.

While the 78-year-old doesn't have final say over the Warriors' personnel moves, he made it clear when he first took the job that he planned on assuming a meaningful role within the organization.

In 2015, Sports Illustrated's Chris Ballard wrote West "lobbied hard to draft Klay Thompson" and then threatened to resign if Golden State traded Thompson as part of a deal to land Kevin Love.

According to Ballard, West was also a proponent of hiring Steve Kerr to replace Mark Jackson as head coach and pushed Lacob to trade Monta Ellis for Andrew Bogut—two more moves that helped lay the foundations for the Warriors' success.

In addition, one Warriors executive told The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears that West had a hand in Kevin Durant signing with the team. West personally called Durant to sell the eight-time All-Star on the Warriors' vision.

West is one of the rare legends who has built a Hall of Fame resume through not only his exploits on the court but also his behind-the-scenes dealing in the front office.

Losing West would be a tough blow to Golden State this summer if he declines to extend his contract.