Under-the-radar teams often swoop in with a surprise, and that was the case last week when news emerged announcing the Philadelphia 76ers had agreed a one-year deal with free agent forward Kelly Oubre Jr. The deal was made official yesterday, and the championship contenders will hope the 27-year-old can produce more efficiently than a commendable year in Charlotte last term.
Oubre heads to Philly, his fifth NBA team
- Last Monday, ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted small forward Kelly Oubre Jr was signing a one-year contract to join the Sixers
- Cleveland, Dallas and Miami were all mentioned as potential destinations for the 27-year-old, but there was no talk of Philadelphia beforehand
- The biggest free agent left on the market, he averaged a career-high 20.3 points last season in Charlotte alongside 5.2 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.1 assists per game. Now, he’s likely to have reduced scoring responsibilities
A veteran’s $2.8m minimum contract in hand, Kelly Oubre Jr will play with the Philadelphia 76ers this upcoming campaign as he looks to find a multi-year deal – whether in Philly or elsewhere – after no suitors could agree terms in free agency.
As mentioned above, his regular season statistics were impressive on the surface but there’s a justifiable caveat attached to playing with the Charlotte Hornets.
He averaged career-highs in FGA (17.1) and 2PA (10) last term, as part of a team who finished 27-55 on the season – second bottom of the East – and are quietly said to be on the clock with franchise guard LaMelo Ball, who signed an extension in July.
Starting power forward PJ Washington signed a three-year, $48m extension the following month ending speculation over his future, but this honest response from GM Mitch Kupchak to the very first question-and-answer said all you need to know.
Notable free agents currently available
PG: Kendrick Nunn, Goran Dragic, George Hill, Raul Neto
SG: Hamidou Diallo, Will Barton, Terence Davis, Austin Rivers
SF: T.J. Warren, Terrence Ross, Anthony Lamb, Kevin Knox
PF: Justise Winslow, JaMychal Green, Blake Griffin, Wenyen Gabriel
C: Bismack Biyombo, Willy Hernangomez, Willie Cauley-Stein, Meyers Leonard
Oubre spent two seasons in Charlotte, but it was clear from his play last season that he was performing above expectations for a contract on a contending team.
He needed surgery on a torn ligament in his left hand, missing 24 games before a shoulder complaint ended his season prematurely – meaning he played a career-low 48 games, at a time where availability is increasingly heightened for role players.
In addition, he’s never been a big scorer in the league, and an inconsistent three-point shot (33% career, 31.9% last season) doesn’t exactly help his cause either.
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After excelling in Phoenix during the 2019-20 season – the second of a two-year, $30m contract – he was traded twice in six days (Oklahoma, then Golden State).
The latter was where he eventually stayed, though in a stacked team headlined by two-time league MVP Stephen Curry, Oubre was always bound to get less touches and scoring opportunities even if strictly part of their second unit (he wasn’t).
From the franchise’s press release yesterday, they’ve also waived 6ft8in small forward Marcus Bagley (Arizona) in a related move as Oubre’s arrival means they have a full 21-man camp roster before training officially begins next week Tuesday.
10-time All-Star guard James Harden’s status remains uncertain after his trade request and fallout with GM Daryl Morey, while the ball club have collectively shown there is still plenty of room for growth after numerous postseason disappointments.
The team’s depth chart has Oubre Jr as their second option at small forward behind Tobias Harris, and third in the SG slot with De’Anthony Melton experiencing a steady first year as Tyrese Maxey’s understudy since last summer’s Memphis trade.
Regular season stat breakdown from 2022-23
Harris: 14.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists
87.6 FT%, eFG 57.5, 38.9 3P%, 50.1 FG% on 11.4 FGA in 74 games
Maxey: 20.3 pts, 3.5 ast, 2.9 rebs
84.5 FT%, 56.8 eFG, 43.4 3P%, 48.1 FG% on 15.2 FGA in 60 gms
Oubre Jr: 20.3 pts, 5.2 rebs, 1.4 steals
76 FT%, 49.7 eFG, 31.9 3P%, 43.1% on 17.1 FGA in 48 gms
Not without his flaws – namely shot selection and true basketball IQ – this being a cheap deal helps both parties. Oubre Jr enters a promising situation where expectations are relatively low, but the ceiling is high under new head coach Nick Nurse.
Picture source: Getty Images
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