In one of the more surprising moves in the NBA this offseason, free agent wing Kelly Oubre Jr. faced a dearth of suitors despite turning in his strongest statistical season yet in the previous campaign with Charlotte. However, the Philadelphia 76ers managed to hook him up after reportedly inking him to a one-year deal.
Oubre Jr.’s arrival gives the Sixers an even more fortified depth in the wings, which quickly became vital following the departures of key players in Georges Niang, Jalen McDaniels, and Shake Milton in free agency atop of James Harden’s impending exit.
That being said, the incoming nine-year veteran could certainly push some people out of the team’s rotation — if not its outright plans for next season. Here are three 76ers whom the front office could cut after their newest signing.
3 players the Philadelphia 76ers could cut after signing Kelly Oubre Jr.
1. Danuel House Jr.
Danuel House Jr. filled a pretty supplementary role last season for Philly as PJ Tucker’s backup in the 3-and-D role. And while the veteran certainly flashed effective spurts as a switchable stopper, his offense — including his three-point shot — simply became too marginal to warrant a bigger role. Eventually, he fell out of the rotation in the playoffs and in sum, tallied a career-low 14.4 minutes per outing.
The veteran quickly opted in to his player option, but at this rate, there’s no guarantee that he’ll still be on the opening night roster. His spot was already precarious prior to the Oubre signing. Now, his future in Philadelphia beyond next month could very well be a big toss-up.
Aside from Oubre, House will have too much better competition to even envision him as a viable rotation player at this juncture. From Tucker and Tobias Harris still projected to soak up the bulk of the minutes at the forward positions and even Paul Reed widely expected to have a more prominent role next season, there’s simply no more room for the 30-year-old.
3 players the Philadelphia 76ers could cut after signing Kelly Oubre Jr.
2. Furkan Korkmaz
Not many outside of Philadelphia knows this, but Furkan Korkmaz leads all role players in the NBA in the frequency of trade requests over the last four years. Nevertheless, the Turkish guard remains on the 76ers roster as one of their designated gunners off the bench.
The jury on Korkmaz, however, may soon find a resolute conclusion. After bagging a consistent role on the team in three seasons, he quickly fell out of favor last season in Doc Rivers’ rotation, averaging just 9.5 minutes per contest and barely sniffing any court time in the postseason.
Korkmaz’s three-point shot, which betrayed him in 2021-22, returned to his normal rates last season, but it may not be enough to save him from being leapfrogged by most in the rotation. His presence from rainbow country cannot be denied, but Oubre Jr., while far from the most laser-eyed from downtown, touts more offensive variance and overall malleability on both ends.
Ultimately, barring a significant change or a mind-boggling preseason run, it’s rather safe to presume that Korkmaz would be one of the easier cuts after training camp.
3 players the Philadelphia 76ers could cut after signing Kelly Oubre Jr.
3. Danny Green
Another surprising tidbit this summer was that Danny Green agreed to return to the 76ers on a one-year, non-guaranteed deal. The three-time champion was traded out of Philly last year, but ultimately did not find a lot of takers in free agency after coming off a pretty major injury, especially for his age.
Green remains a highly respected veteran who can hit open threes and play very good defense, but expressing concern over how his injury could affect his bounce and range of motion is certainly just.
Also, with De’Anthony Melton already on the roster (aside from Oubre and other key holdovers), Green is definitely not indispensable to still have on the roster. Even the way his contract is designed speaks to the 76ers only viewing him as a depth piece.
If there’s still a spot for Danny Green, the 76ers would gladly take it given his pedigree and familiarity with Nick Nurse. However, he could be among the first to go if the competition becomes too great and outshines him in training camp.