Heading into the offseason, the Philadelphia 76ers could see nearly half of the players on their current roster hit the open market. One player who is set to enter free agency is Kelly Oubre Jr., who is arguably the most important cog on the team who is a legitimate flight risk this summer. This team, however, cannot afford to lose his services.
Naturally, the 76ers will –– and should –– do whatever it takes to bring back the veteran. Unfortunately for the front office, that could end up becoming a complicated front, especially after Oubre himself hinted that his free agency decision will be heavily influenced by what his next deal could look like. He appears to be gunning for a handsome pay raise, which will make things more difficult for the team.
After two successive discounts, Oubre seems to be finished playing under a contract that is well under his supposed rate in the market. In all honesty, that is a perfectly valid stance to adopt, especially in account of the fact that he just turned in arguably his most impactful individual campaign as a pro this season.
"I've averaged 20 points in this league and still find myself barely getting any contracts...I hope I did myself a good service by being more efficient, slowing down, and playing better overall basketball."
The 76ers will have a difficult time re-signing Kelly Oubre Jr. as he eyes more money in free agency
Oubre is no longer the high-octane scorer that he was not too long ago, but the 76ers have streamlined his role and he has made the most out of it. His utility has increased exponentially, and now, he has emerged as one of the more handy three-and-D guys in the league thanks to his much improved three-point shot and stouter defense.
The 30-year-old shot a career-best 36 percent from beyond the arc this season while also becoming Nick Nurse's go-to option to handle opposing scorers on the defensive end. For those reasons alone, the 76ers definitely cannot afford to let him walk away for nothing.
On offense, he can still get things done as a scorer when the need arises. He is sort of the wildcard in the starting five, and he has saved the 76ers numerous times already with his timely scoring. Even better, he is perfectly capable of assuming a more prominent scoring post.
It is inevitable that Oubre will fetch tempting offers come free agency. That would prompt the 76ers to become less trigger-shy about keeping the forward, although given his current stance, even playing more might not be enough. That is simply the situation with Oubre at the moment.
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