The Philadelphia 76ers will be on deck to make some tough decisions this offseason especially after yet another unceremonious exit in the playoffs. One front that will really get them into thinking mode will be the free agency situation of Kelly Oubre Jr., who has become so important to the team that they cannot afford to let him walk away for nothing.
Oubre, who is coming off a very productive individual campaign for the 76ers, is already projected to command a considerable price tag in free agency. ESPN"s Bobby Marks, who knows the innings in the open market, expects the veteran to bag a deal amounting to $40.5 million over three years. That is a significant pay raise from what he made in Philly this season at around $8.4 million.
Marks expects Oubre to garner a lot of interest in the open market among teams in need of a reinforcement at the forward positions. Once touted as a one-trick pony who is way too inefficient to count on as a primary scorer, he has expanded his game in recent years with the 76ers, emerging as a two-way rotation piece who can punish defenses on offense and latch onto numerous players on the defensive end.
76ers just received a death sentence on Kelly Oubre Jr.'s free agency situation
It is no secret that the 76ers do not have a lot of financial leg room this offseason, so they are probably hoping that Oubre and his camp would be amenable to the idea of giving the team another discount in the open market. That, however, is an unfair proposition that is way too unlikely to even transpire.
Oubre has given Philly a couple of discounts now, and coming off arguably his most impactful year as a pro, he will most certainly do his earnest to rake in as much money as possible when he hits free agency. He is not getting any younger, and this could very well be his only chance to get one last handsome payout.
Given how their roster is constructed, Oubre is too essential for the 76ers to lose. He is basically the best complementary piece they have next to their star-studded and loaded starters, but if his price tag shoots up, the front office might have to start looking for cheaper replacements.
The Philadelphia 76ers cannot afford to not have Kelly Oubre on the roster next season and beyond, but from the looks of it, what appears to be a synergistic partnership could end abruptly. Unfortunately, the team is not in full control of the situation, and their precarious financial status will likely make the veteran a pain to keep in the fold.
Add us as a preferred source on Google