One of the final unanswered questions in the free agent market has found a place to call home for the next campaign. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, former Hornets wing Kelly Oubre Jr. is anticipated to sign with the 76ers a few weeks before training camp begins.
Despite the fact that Oubre had finished a season in which he averaged 20.3 points per game for the Hornets, efficiency was another problem. He became a free agent when the Hornets decided not to re-sign him this offseason. Now that Oubre is playing for the Sixers, he will be able to play a lot of minutes and try to make money when he becomes a free agent in the summer.
There were some fans who wondered whether the Celtics could elect to sign Oubre considering they still have an open roster spot. But that was unlikely to happen as the C’s rotation is set, and minutes were far from guaranteed for Oubre.
In an ideal world, he’d be a nice depth piece and another option on a minimum deal. But Oubre was going to look for more opportunities elsewhere, which is why he signed with the Sixers. Philadelphia has a lot of uncertainty currently, as well, because of the James Harden situation. Whatever happens there, Oubre should at least get more minutes with the Sixers compared to the Celtics’ roster situation.
While the Sixers won’t strike much fear in Celtics fans’ hearts, they did push Boston to seven games in the East semifinals last season. Oubre’s addition is something to at least keep in mind if they meet in the playoffs again. Of course, the Sixers have to get their Harden situation sorted out before they think long-term going forward about contending.
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