It's going to be a very interesting summer ahead for the Charlotte Hornets. The front office will need to make a number of key decisions in the offseason, which will also include one on the Kelly Oubre Jr. front. The 27-year-old's current contract ends at the end of this season and he will become an unrestricted free agent this summer. As such, the Hornets will have to decide if they will pay him the money he will be asking for or just let him walk away in NBA free agency.
For his part, Oubre has already spoken out about his future in Charlotte. The 6-foot-7 swingman admitted that it's been a bit of a roller coaster ride for him over the past couple of years with the Hornets. Nevertheless, he is adamant that he left everything on the table for his team:
“The first two seasons here I would say I'm happy with them, [but] I'm not satisfied,” Oubre said (h/t ClutchPoints on Twitter). “But I can sleep at night knowing that every time I suited up, I gave it my all. I was locked in to each and every second that I played.”
Oubre pocketed $12.6 million this season in a year that he averaged a career-high 20.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.4 steals, while also connecting on 2.3 triples per game. One could argue that this was the best season of his career, and he will likely be searching for a pay hike in his next contract.
Kelly Oubre Jr. made it clear, however, that he's looking forward to remaining in Charlotte:
“As much as we would want to speak on it, I just can only pray and just hope that everything falls together so we can keep this band together,” he said.
"The first two seasons here I would say I'm happy with them, [but] I'm not satisfied… I just can only pray and just hope that everything falls together so we can keep this band together."
Kelly Oubre Jr., who will be a free agent, on re-signing with the Hornets in the… pic.twitter.com/aFoHsNHhHE
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) April 10, 2023
Despite his eagerness to remain with the squad, there's no guarantee that Oubre will be able to negotiate a new deal with the Hornets this summer. Depending on how the cards play out, it's possible that we've already seen the last of him in a Charlotte uniform. Hornets fans are hoping that this isn't the case.
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