Easily the biggest steal of last year’s free agency, Kelly Oubre Jr. has quickly emerged as one of the Philadelphia 76ers’ most productive players. Despite ever-changing roles, the veteran is thriving as one of the team’s designated scorers, which has become an even more pressing need following Joel Embiid injury.
However, Oubre definitely earned a good salary this summer, meaning it would be impossible for the 76ers to retain him for the veteran minimum. More teams will have spending power in free agency, and barring injury setbacks, Oubre will most likely don new threads next season.
As good as Oubre has been, it’s not a guarantee that the 76ers will want him back, especially since the front office has long made the necessary preparations to have the legroom for a big change in free agency.
Nonetheless, Nick Nurse recently praised Oubre’s overall improvement this season, particularly in defense, perhaps signaling that a return for the 28-year-old next season could still be on the cards.
East Philadelphia handcuffed regarding Oubre, as the team can only offer him 120 percent of what he currently makes as the starting salary of his new contract, as the 76ers only have non-Bird rights to him. To keep him, the front office will have to fork out some of their cap space or exhaust their cap exception.
Still, there’s a chance the 76ers will try just as hard for Oubre. He was able to shed his reputation as a one-dimensional cog with his renewed defensive acuity, while remaining potent as a shot creator, even as his three-point shooting declined.
Ultimately, this could all come down to Oubre’s willingness to stick with a potential contender for less money. One thing is for sure though: the Philadelphia 76ers will likely exhaust all their options to keep him for the foreseeable future.
dark. Following. fa losing teams. 4 free agents from losing teams expected to sign with the 76ers this summer
