While the season is still ongoing, the Philadelphia 76ers have every reason to look forward to what awaits them in the offseason. While not a lot of movement is realistically expected from the team given the booming contracts they have handed out, the front office must have a long to-do list in view of the many holes this roster still touts to this day.
But standing out as one non-negotiable move for the 76ers is keeping Kelly Oubre Jr. The veteran forward has once again been a vital component for the team this season, filling in various roles for the squad due to the numerous injuries that have hit them. More importantly, he has done an admirable job, as he has largely thrived despite being asked to do a lot of shapeshifting role-wise.
Oubre will enter unrestricted free agency, and the market for him should be moderately extensive this time around. At this juncture, the 76ers brain trust would be prudent to expect that his price tag will go up, which means that hoping for him to accede to another discounted deal would be a pie in the sky. It is just not happening once more.
The 76ers have no choice but to keep Kelly Oubre Jr. this offseason
Nick Nurse has basically entrenched Oubre as his resident Swiss Army knife in that he has been trotted out in various ways not only this season, but also in the last couple of years. Since arriving in Philly, his versatility has outweighed the clear cons in his game. This season especially, he has turned a lot of doubters into believers.
Long been one of the most underwhelming perimeter players in the NBA, Oubre has become a more than respectable shooter this season, draining a career-high 37.6 percent of his three-point attempts. Despite playing nearly 33 minutes a night, he is turning the ball over just 1.4 times per outing, which makes him one of the steadier hands on the squad.
His body of work on the defensive end also deserves more than just scant attention. He previously had this reputation of lacking the wits to be competent on that end, but since becoming a Sixer, he has emerged as one of the better defenders on the roster. That remains to be the case this season, and he is one of the reasons why they have made a noticeable improvement on that end compared to the previous campaign.
The 76ers brass will have a more difficult time keeping Kelly Oubre Jr. this offseason, but it does not change the fact that losing him will sting a lot. As such, realistically speaking, re-signing him is perhaps their biggest priority this summer.