Despite the Philadelphia 76ers gaining serious momentum over the last few weeks, their current record is easily far from what everyone expected from the ball club at this very juncture. It would still take a lot of winning for the team to shed its “biggest disappointment” tag, although all signs point to them being able to achieve exactly that.
Having said that, the team still has a lot of doubters, and some of them do have equitable footing. This roster is still far from perfect nor comparable to their more elite counterparts even when healthy and it would take much more than what they currently have on deck to even have a fighting chance to get to the NBA Finals.
As a result, the 76ers front office should be a pretty active bunch, and true to that word, they seem to be taking on that mantle. The rumor mill has circulated around them numerous times already, and league-wide consensus is that Philly will once again be a major player in the trade market until the last minute.
The 76ers are unlikely to trade Kelly Oubre Jr. if he keeps his defensive improvement up
The 76ers are surging as of late, and a big part of that is Nick Nurse finally being able to trot out his preferred starting five consisting of Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr., Paul George, Caleb Martin, and Joel Embiid.
Phillky’s trio of stars get the biggest share of the limelight for better or for worse, and Martin has also turned it up since kicking off the season with a flat performance. But Oubre, who has been sus so far and has posted inferior numbers compared to 2023-24, has been a subject of much scrutiny from fans and pundits alike.
However, while Oubre remains an erratic and inefficient offensive weapon, his growth on defense has been notable. Last season, that catapulted his rise as a key player for the team which led to his re-signing. This season, that has continued, and and argument could be made that he’s become even better.
Oubre leads the 76ers in defensive win shares, and touts the fifth-best defensive rating among the team’s regular rotation players despite drawing some of the toughest assignments on the roster on a nightly basis.
His activity also cannot be denied. Just last game against Utah, he recorded eight steals, showcasing his ability to leverage his length to make things tougher for opposing players by getting into passing lanes and punishing unsuspecting guys, especially on the perimeter.
If Kelly Oubre Jr. keeps this up, the Philadelphia 76ers would be deincentivized from trading him. His contract is a pretty snug asset to include in deals, but his emerging acuity as a defender could easily make that a moot proposition.