Shortly after Ron Adams moved to the Bay Area five years ago to take the job as the Warriors’ defensive guru, he befriended a Realtor on a neighborhood tennis court.

The two started playing regular matches at Highlands Country Club in Oakland. When Adams and his wife, Leah, finally bought a house in 2016, Adams’ new buddy — Krissto Makris — helped them with the sale. In Makris, Adams saw a humility and generosity that he tried to emulate.

As Adams, 71, begins his 26th season as an NBA assistant, he finds himself thinking often about Makris, who died in July from a heart attack. He was 62. Makris’ death reinforced for Adams the need to relish each moment and have a healthy respect for his own mortality.

This is the mind-set he’s taking into his new role with the Warriors, which will call for less travel and a more macro coaching style. After five years overseeing the team’s defense, he has passed that responsibility to Jarron Collins, freeing up more time for Adams to build relationships with young players, scout opponents and, more than anything, act as a stabilizing force for a roster in transition.

In the wake of Kevin Durant’s decision to sign with the Nets, the Warriors rebuilt on the fly and brought in eight newcomers. With only four players older than 25, Golden State isn’t expected to nab a top-four seed in the Western Conference, much less reach the Finals for a sixth straight year. This is just fine with Adams, whose career was built on maximizing youthful rosters.

“There’s nothing greater than that in my mind,” Adams said.

In June, several teams — including the Lakers — offered Adams lucrative contracts to join them on the bench. And who could blame them? Each of the past four seasons, NBA general managers named Adams the league’s best assistant.

His easygoing, joyful approach has resonated with generations of players, from All-Stars to seldom-used reserves. When Steve Kerr took his first head-coaching job with the Warriors in 2014, he was ecstatic to pry Adams away from the Celtics.

Adams seriously considered accepting another offer this summer, but he couldn’t stomach the idea of moving again. In his half-decade with the Warriors, he has built a loyalty for Kerr, one that far outweighs a pay raise.

When Adams decided to return, he and Kerr agreed to change his responsibilities so he wouldn’t have to travel to every road game. It’s not that Adams can no longer handle the grind. Fifty-one years into a career that has spanned seven colleges and eight NBA teams, he just wants a different vantage point.

“Ron has kind of earned the right to carve his own path,” Kerr said. “I want him to feel a part of it, but I also want him to not feel like he has to travel on certain trips. My guess is he’ll go to Miami and L.A., then won’t go to the Midwest in the winter.”

Adams has appreciated the chance to watch Collins seize a more hands-on role with the defense. During the first practice of training camp Tuesday, Adamss watched as the Stanford alum broke down the Warriors’ system in quick, digestible installments for the newcomers.

But when Collins has a problem that needs troubleshooting, Adams will be happy to help.

With Klay Thompson expected to miss the majority of the season with an ACL injury, and Andre Iguodala (Grizzlies) and Shaun Livingston (retirement) gone, the Warriors’ only proven defenders are Draymond Green and Kevon Looney. No longer can Golden State coast through the regular season with lackluster defensive effort, only to raise the intensity in the playoffs.

As he discussed the task in front of the Warriors’ defense, Adams’ eyes lit up and his speech quickened. These opportunities, and the relationships they foster, are what make him feel rejuvenated each October.

“You try to not lose that young adult in you,” Adams said. “You can’t ever lose that. Of course, I have an advantage here because I’ve been around young people forever. They’ll keep you that way.”

Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cletourneau@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @Con_Chron