With the 2024-25 regular season coming to its end, the lottery-bound Philadelphia 76ers have no other choice but to take a premature approach to their offseason. A slew of striking decisions await them, especially on the heels of a campaign that was more than terrible enough to catapult them into a state of flux.
Aside from the 2025 NBA Draft, where the 76ers are expected to be in the running for the top prize, the front office also has a loot to look forward to in free agency. While they will not have the ample financial legroom they enjoyed last year, the team has to make a slew of adjustments to the roster if they want to get back to relevance next season.
One player the 76ers are most likely looking to secure for next season and beyond is Kelly Oubre Jr. The veteran forward, whom the team somehow managed to re-sign with the team on yet another heavily bargained contract, could very well re-enter free agency this time as he has a player option for the 2025-26 season.
The 76ers could decide not to pursue Kelly Oubre Jr. anymore due to his lack of a three-point shot
At any rate, Oubre is a near-guarantee to decline his player option. After all, he only signed a two-year deal with the 76ers at a below-market rate due to the lack of teams with functional cap space to spare last year.
Keeping Oubre is obviously a sensible idea for Philadelphia. He has been one of their best defenders this season, and has been a constant source of effort and energy for a team that often lacks them due to their relatively old nucleus.
Having said that, re-signing him will not be cheap, and the 76ers actually have a good reason if they decide not to pursue him anymore — his three-point shooting.
Oubre has never been one to strike a lot of fear on opposing defenses from three-point range, but he has been rather negligible in that department this season, draining a putrid 29.3 percent of his attempts from rainbow country, the second-worst mark in his 10-year career.
For a team that already has a lack of reliable spot-up threats, having a heavy-minute player constantly brick threes is a huge problem. Not only does he wane as an off-ball threat, but he also effectively incentivizes defenses to double-down on the likes of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
Dismissing Kelly Oubre Jr. on the sheer measure of his lack of three-point shooting undersells the great value he has given the Philadelphia 76ers in the last couple of seasons, but the team’s roster construction also requires the front office to put a heavier premium on perimeter prowess. And following that train of thought, this could be it for the fan-favorite.