The Charlotte Hornets will have to look for a new head coach because Kenny Atkinson, who agreed to a four-year contract in principle with the team, has informed the Hornets he will stay in the Golden State Warriors as the top assistant coach, reported ESPN on Saturday.

ESPN revealed that Atkinson had several conversations with the Hornets after reaching an agreement with the team last week. In the end, he decided it's best for him to stay in the Warriors both professionally and personally.

Atkinson won the first NBA Championship in his coaching career in the Warriors as they beat the Boston Celtics 4-2 in the Finals this season. He will take over from Mike Brown, who is leaving to coach the Sacramento Kings, to become the Warriors' top assistant under Steve Kerr.

The Hornets chose Atkinson over the other candidates, Mike D'Antoni and Terry Stotts, in the final grouping of potential head coaches after firing James Borrego in April. Having missed the playoffs for six straight seasons, the team wants to find someone to help them break the awkward streak.

Keeping Atkinson will be the first step for the Warriors to stay on top in the NBA after winning the title. Their total payroll is about $178.98 million for the 2021-22 season, the highest in the league, according to hoopshype.com. Three of the team's key members, Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole and Kevon Looney will definitely negotiate either extensions or new deals.

"I would love to stay here," Wiggins said at the Warriors' exit interviews on Saturday. "Being here, this is top-notch. The way they treat the players ... we're all one big family. I feel like a lot of places may say that, but they show it through their actions."

Having averaged 17.2 points, 4.5 rebounds in the regular season and 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds during the playoffs for the Warriors this season, Wiggins was the team's first option to contain the opponent's ace. His froze Jayson Tatum in Finals. He still has one year left of his current deal with the team and his salary for the 2022-23 season will be about $33.6 million.

Poole will enter the fourth year of his rookie deal next season. "If I'm going to be completely honest, I haven't even been able to fathom anything about that process yet," he said. "I was so locked in on the championship. Like, we know it will happen, we put ourselves in situations to be successful and everything else will take care of itself."

Having become the offensive leader off the bench for the Warriors this season, Poole could make 2.8 triples at 36.4-percent 3-point rate to score 18.5 points per game in the regular season. He went through more ups and downs in the postseason, but could still get an average of 17 points and made key 3-pointers in multiple games.

Keeping Wiggins and Poole is likely to cost the Warriors a fortune. By contrast, Looney's new deal shouldn't be too expensive, but his extension situation is more urgent because he will become an unrestricted free agent. His rebounding ability, especially on the offensive glass, is integral to the team.

"I always want to be back here. I want to come back and try to defend what we just won and be a part of something special again," Looney said.

The Warriors also have elite defender Gary Payton II and stretching four Otto Porter Jr. to negotiate possible new contracts. It will be very difficult to keep all of the above players financially. The team's luxury tax is estimated to be over $170 million this season.