It feels like it has not been too long since the Philadelphia 76ers fanbase was still divisive about what it felt about Kelly Oubre Jr. Sure, the veteran forward willingly made concessions on and off the court to be with the team, but his skill set left a lot to be desired from an objective viewpoint. Well, the variance of opinions with him has blurred a lot this season.
Put simply, Oubre has been more than impressive for the 76ers all campaign long. But with that said, his reemergence is bound to put the team in a tough spot right when they get to the point of reckoning, which will come when free agency opens. He will be hitting the open market this time, and to be quite frank, the odds of him settling for another discount to stay in Philly will be even lower now.
By all means, the 76ers should want to keep Oubre in the fold. He has become one of their most reliable defenders, and his three-point shooting –– the most prominent point of contest about him in recent years –– has improved by leaps and bounds this season. There is a lot to like about his fit with this group, yet the front office might be forced to let him go.
The 76ers might still be better off moving on from Kelly Oubre Jr. in free agency
Oubre is going to be quite costly to keep. After all, versatile players who can play three positions and guard 1 through 4 do not come around often, and those who can also function as a release valve on the offense end are even mroe valuable. Oubre has been all of those things for the 76ers this season, and given that fact, teams are bound to show interest in him.
The 76ers will undoubtedly offer resistance on the market, but they should probably not exhaust all of their spending power (which is already close to nada) to keep him on the roster. Despite his all-around production, he is one of the more replaceable parts on this squad, and the team can certainly replace his spot with a younger commodity who will be less expensive.
Losing him defensive acuity and wildcard status on offense will sting, but the 76ers are so constrained financially now and in the near future that having to sign Oubre at his near-peak market rate is going to be difficult to stomach. Also, his three-point shot can still be quite temperamental, so paying him big bucks when his surge on that front could be a one-off thing might not be so wise.
Kelly Oubre has become instrumental for the 76ers, but with the way things are, the front office could deem it best to cut his tenure this year. At the very least, the ending seems poised to be a good one.