The long wait for Kelly Oubre Jr. is finally over, with the former Golden State Warriors wing finding a new home in free agency with just over a month until the start of the NBA regular season.
According to ESPN’s Adrian WojnarowskiOubre will sign a one-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers despite ongoing turmoil within the franchise regarding the future of former MVP James Harden.
Kelly Oubre Jr. returns to a contending team, after missing the playoffs in each of his last five seasons, including his one-year stint with the Golden State Warriors.
Oubre was perhaps the biggest name remaining on the free agent market, as the 27-year-old averaged a career-high 20.3 points with the Charlotte Hornets last season. He started 40 of his 48 games in 2022-23, but may have to return to the bench in Philadelphia behind incumbent forwards Tobias Harris and veteran PJ Tucker.
It’s an interesting move on Oubre’s part given the uncertainty surrounding the 76ers, but as Wojnarowski points out, more opportunities and scoring reliance could fall on the eight-year veteran if Harden’s situation went further south.
Kelly Oubre Jr. of the Golden State Warriors in action against the Philadelphia 76ers during a game at the Wells Fargo Center on April 19, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
Oubre had an up-and-down season with the Warriors in 2020-21. After the franchise acquired him from the Oklahoma City Thunder following Klay Thompson’s season-ending Achilles injury, Oubre started in 50 of his 55 games for Golden State.
He had his moments, including a career-high 40 points against the Dallas Mavericks in February 2021, but the 6’7″ forward wasn’t quite the game-winning contributor the Warriors were hoping for. A wrist injury cut his season short, as the Warriors’ record improved with Oubre sidelined.
He would leave for the Hornets in the 2021 offseason, putting up decent numbers over the past two years, albeit on a young lottery team. His long wait in this free agency had opened up the suggestion of a Warriors reunion, although that was never reported as a possibility and always seemed unlikely.
It will be fascinating to see what kind of numbers Oubre can produce in Philadelphia where, despite Harden’s ongoing issues, the franchise holds championship aspirations built around MVP Joel Embiid.
