- Nick Nurse supports Kelly Oubre Jr. as questions swirl around hit-and-run incident: ‘I’m going to believe him at his word’ The Philadelphia Inquirer
- I Directed Traffic on the Street Where Kelly Oubre was Hit Crossing Broad
- Kelly Oubre Jr. crash: No video of 76ers player being hit by car, Philadelphia police say The Philadelphia Inquirer
- Kelly Oubre hit-and-run: Philly advocates press for traffic safety solutions WHYY
- Kelly Oubre Jr. ‘in good spirits’ as he returns to 76ers’ facility days after being struck by motor vehicle Yahoo Sports
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Tag Archives: Oubre
Kelly Oubre talks Warriors future after surviving NBA trade deadline
The NBA trade deadline came and went Thursday, and Kelly Oubre Jr. still is a member of the Warriors.
And while the 25-year-old wing will remain in the Bay Area for the final two months of the season, his future beyond that is uncertain.
After being traded numerous times in his young NBA career, Oubre will hit unrestricted free agency this summer. That coincides with the expectation that Klay Thompson will return fully healthy at the beginning of the 2021-22 NBA season.
That makes Oubre’s situation with the Warriors complicated. He’s a starter in the NBA, but if he were to re-sign with Golden State, he likely would eventually have to come off the bench.
“I can’t speak for the future … but at the end of the day, I’m growing, I’m honing in on my skills in this league and I can offer a lot more than coming off the bench,” Oubre told reporters on a video conference call after the Warriors’ 141-119 loss to the Kings. “At the end of the day, this is my life, so I can’t tell the future, only God can.”
Oubre had been at the center of trades rumors for weeks leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline, and the Warriors reportedly had strong offers for him, but decided to hold on to the former first-round draft pick.
The trade speculation didn’t seem to bother Oubre.
“It comes with the territory,” Oubre said. “This is a pretty important year, but I’m in a great situation right now, so all in all, I’m just happy to be here.”
Coach Steve Kerr has stated publicly that he would like Oubre to re-sign this offseason and stick around, but assuming the Warriors don’t shed salary, bringing Oubre back could be very costly.
Still, Oubre wouldn’t mind staying put in the Bay Area for a few years.
“I would love that,” Oubre said. “At the end of the day, this is a business. We got through one step. Next step is giving my all to this team so we can reach our goals this season and this summer is another step. So I’m kinda in the moment right now. And I’m here. I’m a Warrior.”
RELATED: Warriors bet on themselves with Oubre decision
Oubre scored 19 points in 33 minutes Thursday, and is averaging over 15 points and just under six rebounds per game this season. His addition hasn’t given the Warriors the boost they had hoped for when they acquired him in the wake of Thompson’s torn Achilles.
But talented, versatile wings like Oubre are hard to come by, so the Warriors would be wise to try to retain him this summer, even if it’s costly.
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Warriors trade Brad Wanamaker, Marquese Chriss at deadline; Kelly Oubre Jr. stays put
The Warriors made a couple of small moves at the trade deadline Thursday, but they didn’t pull off the bigger deal some had anticipated.
Golden State traded guard Brad Wanamaker to the Hornets for cash considerations, and center Marquese Chriss and cash to the Spurs for the rights to center Cady Lalanne, according to league sources. Those moves were made to clear two roster spots in case the Warriors acquire anyone on the upcoming buyout market. Golden State could also move two-way-contract players Juan Toscano-Anderson and Nico Mannion into the 15-man roster spots that Wanamaker and Chriss vacated.
The No. 55 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft out of Massachusetts, Lalanne, 28, has yet to play an NBA game. He is currently on the Changwon LG Sakers of the Korean Basketball League and is not expected to join Golden State.
Wanamaker, 31, signed a one-year, $2.25 million contract with the Warriors in free agency to be Stephen Curry’s primary backup at point guard. But in 39 games, he averaged just 4.7 points on 35.3% shooting (21.3% from 3-point range), 2.5 assists and 1.7 rebounds. Several weeks ago, Wanamaker was removed from the Warriors’ regular rotation so that Mannion and Jordan Poole could get more minutes.
Chriss suffered a high right ankle sprain with a fractured right fibula in late December, and it’s unclear if he’ll be able to play again this season. Head coach Steve Kerr said recently that Chriss — who becomes a free agent this summer — has started doing some on-court work, but he is “not close to playing in a game.”
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Even if Chriss returned this season, he would’ve had a hard time cracking the Warriors’ frontcourt rotation. James Wiseman, Golden State’s franchise-center-in-waiting, commands significant playing time. The Warriors also want to get Kevon Looney minutes and play Eric Paschall as a small-ball center.
After months of speculation that Golden State could move guard Kelly Oubre Jr. at the deadline, it decided to hold onto him. According to a league source, the Warriors turned down multiple “compelling” offers for Oubre.
It’s a gamble, given that Golden State now risks losing Oubre in free agency and getting nothing in return for him. After a slow start this season, Oubre, 25, has emerged as a reliable two-way wing. In 42 games, he is averaging 15.1 points on 43.8% shooting (30.6% shooting from 3-point range), 5.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1 steal.
According to a league source, Oubre could warrant a contract in free agency worth north of $20 million annually — quite a steep number for a Warriors team that already has nearly $140 million committed next season to Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green. But if Oubre is willing to re-sign with Golden State for what figures to be a sixth-man role after Thompson return from an Achilles injury, the Warriors could be fine paying him his market value.
In the shorter-term, Oubre should help Golden State compete for a playoff berth this season. The Warriors enter Thursday night’s game at Sacramento 10th in the Western Conference standings at 22-22. The teams with the seventh-through10th-best records in each conference will participate in a play-in tournament for the seventh and eighth seeds in the playoffs.
Connor Letourneau covers the Warriors for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: cletourneau@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @Con_Chron