The Philadelphia 76ers have agreed to terms on a new two-year, $16.3 million contract with swingman Kelly Oubre Jr., according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Oubre, 28, signed a one-year minimum contract with the 76ers ahead of the 2023-24 season, and he proved to be an essential part of their core group alongside Tyrese Maxey and 2022-23 NBA MVP Joel Embiid. The lefty's dynamic play and ability to push the pace in transition were something that fit exactly what Philadelphia and head coach Nick Nurse were lacking in the team's rotations.
As a result of his offensive contributions, Oubre ended up playing in a total of 68 games, 52 of which he started. He averaged 15.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game while shooting 44.1 percent from the floor. Despite shooting only 31.1 percent from three-point range, the worst of his career, Oubre still managed to rank second on the team with 101 made threes, trailing only Maxey's 212 made triples.
The news of Oubre remaining with the 76ers in free agency comes after Philadelphia made moves to bring in veterans Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon. Drummond signed a two-year, $10 million deal to return to the 76ers after two seasons with the Chicago Bulls. Gordon, who has long been a rumored target for the Sixers and has a prior relationship with executive Daryl Morey dating back to their days with the Houston Rockets, signed a one-year veteran's minimum contract for around $3.3 million.
Aside from his scoring production, Oubre stood out in Philadelphia as a spark of energy. Whether he was in or out of the starting rotation, Oubre simply played hard, and his defensive contributions oftentimes went unnoticed. The 76ers recognized the production from the former 15th overall pick, which is why they have decided to dip into their cap space to re-sign him to a two-year deal that contains a player option for the 2025-26 season.
This option allows for Oubre to potentially opt out and earn more money next summer, while also giving the Sixers financial flexibility to make more moves alongside Embiid and Maxey.
How Kelly Oubre Jr.'s contract impacts Sixers' Paul George pursuit
The 76ers entered free agency with the most flexibility when it came to adding talent to their roster and agreeing to new contracts. Embiid was the only player under contract with a guaranteed deal, which has allowed Morey and the Sixers' brass to formulate a plan to bring in another All-Star-level talent in their pursuit of a championship. As a result, Paul George, who won't be returning to the Los Angeles Clippers, is expected to agree to terms on a max-level contract with the 76ers.
The good news regarding Oubre's new deal is that this doesn't impact the Sixers' ability to pursue George in any way. Philadelphia entered the start of free agency on Sunday with over $60 million in practical cap space, allowing them to add talent to their roster while also eventually agreeing to terms on a new long-term max extension with Maxey.
After the Clippers came out and publicly said that George would not be returning to the organization, all indications quickly pointed in the 76ers' direction. The 76ers were meeting with George on Sunday night in Los Angeles after his meeting with the Clippers at the start of free agency. As a result, there is a growing expectation around the league that George will be offered the four-year, $212 max contract that he is seeking.
A potential trio of Maxey, George, and Embiid makes for arguably the best-scoring trio in the league based on their 83.2 combined points per game scoring average from the 2023-24 season. With other factors like Drummond, Gordon, and now Oubre in the mix, the only roadblock the 76ers may have to get over during the 2024-25 season to finally break their postseason curse is the injury bug. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, injuries have plagued their chances of finding playoff success.
George remains at the forefront of the 76ers' minds heading into the second day of NBA free agency, as Oubre returns to the team he was able to reinvent his role and image with this past year.
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