Tag: Kelly Oubre Jr.

Kelly Oubre Jr. happy that Sixers signed Caleb Martin in free agency

Kelly Oubre Jr. is happy the Philadelphia 76ers brought in close friend Caleb Martin in free agency.

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers made their big move in free agency with the addition of Paul George. However, another addition that will make a big impact is Caleb Martin.

The Sixers brought in Martin on a 4-year deal to help push them over the hump in the East. Martin has a ton of experience winning with the Miami Heat and will look to carry that with him over to the City of Brotherly Love.

Kelly Oubre Jr., who re-signed, played with Caleb’s twin brother Cody Martin while with the Charlotte Hornets. Oubre has a lot of love for Caleb and the Martin twins for what they bring to the table.

“I’m really excited to talk craft with Caleb, because I played with his brother Cody,” Oubre said. “Him and his brother Cody, they tag teamed me when I was at Findlay (Prep), knocked me out of the national championship tournament when they were at Oak Hill–but that’s my brother from afar.”

In fact, Oubre feels as if he has formed a “triplet” with both the Martin twins. He is looking forward to what Caleb brings in terms of his hustle.

“I’m like a triplet at this point,” Oubre laughed. “I’m really excited, man, because he goes really hard and everybody respects his work ethic and what he brings to the game. I think Philly fans will fall in love with him, too.”

The feeling appears to be mutual. Caleb was asked about his relationship with Oubre and gave a lot of praise to his new Sixers teammate.

“Kelly’s a really good dude,” said Martin. “I know he spent a lot more time, especially with my brother Cody, but for the times I’ve been around Kelly, it’s like I’ve known him for years. Just a good dude. An easygoing dude.”

Oubre is one of those players who is about his business, but he also wants to keep it fun and have everybody laugh. The veteran forward is certainly a great personality to have in the locker room and Martin acknowledged that.

“He’s about his business, but he likes to have a good time doing it so that’s the type of guys that you need implemented in your group to try and keep business fun at the same time and try to have fun as much as you can because of how tough the journey can be,” Martin finished. “He’s gonna be a big piece of what we try to do.”

Kelly Oubre Jr. discusses new additions, importance of staying with Sixers

Kelly Oubre Jr. discusses the importance of staying with the Philadelphia 76ers and the new additions they have made.

CAMDEN, N.J. — Amongst all of the major moves the Philadelphia 76ers were able to make, they were able to bring back Kelly Oubre Jr. on a deal. The veteran out of Kansas was a steal in the 2023-24 season on a veteran’s minimum and the Sixers could not let him walk.

He will return to a new-look Sixers team with the additions of Paul George, Caleb Martin, Eric Gordon, and Andre Drummond. One has to believe that the Sixers will be near the top of the contender list in the Eastern Conference due to the talent they have on the roster.

“All the pieces that you just named are amazing players,” Oubre described. “They go hard, they have experience, they’re exactly what we need. I’m really excited, man. Obviously, in training camp, you kind of have to go at each other to get used to each other. So I’m excited to go at it in training camp, man. Continue to just build off of what we did last year, obviously, and with the new pieces, I feel like we can take things a lot further. These are just guys who are just hard-nosed, rugged hard workers.”

Oubre will play a part in that as it was important to him to return to the Sixers despite other options on the table.

“Well, there were definitely options on the table — options that are closer to the ballpark of where I’m working toward getting to, but at the end of the day, man, it’s all about situations, it’s all about fit, it’s all about the people that I’m working with and I’m working for,” Oubre explained. “That just superseded everything else, because I didn’t want to necessarily move my family to a new place, go and meet new people, and have to do this all over again.”

Oubre had to battle through adversity in the 2023-24 season when he was struck by a vehicle in a hit-and-run in November which sidelined him for a few weeks with a rib injury. The Sixers stuck by him and supported him through that time. Those moments are not forgotten by players in this league.

Combine that with the playoff loss and there’s work to be done in Philadelphia.

“I want to–I don’t want to say finish what I started, because I don’t plan on being done,” Oubre added. “This is a step toward where I want to be at—signing a more long-term deal—but this was the place where I felt comfortable, and I felt safe and happy. I fell in love with the game of basketball here, so why would I go anywhere else?”

It also helps Oubre that he knows where he will be playing when the season begins. He was a very late pickup for Philadelphia in 2023 which contributed to a summer of stress for him. This time around, he knows he will be playing for the Sixers and will look to move them and himself forward.

“It’s been a night and day difference from last year, because obviously I went all summer without knowing what my future was going to hold,” he explained. “It was just a lot of stress and there’s a lot of things that come with that. This time around, I’m going to be able to build off of the things that I brought to the table last year. Obviously, get my percentages up and just kind of polish my game up, and do it within the confines of the organization with what we’re trying to build toward and what we need as a team.”

Training camp in October will be an important time for Philadelphia so everybody can get on the same page with schemes and such.

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Kelly Oubre Jr. explains returning to Sixers, reacts to Paul George addition

Kelly Oubre Jr. explains returning to the Philadelphia 76ers and reacts to the addition of Paul George.

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers got a steal with Kelly Oubre Jr. late in the 2023 offseason as he was signed to a minimum deal. He averaged 15.4 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 44.1% from the floor and tied a career-high with 1.5 assists per game.

He is an athletic player who has a strong offensive game while also being a pest on the other end of the floor as well. He shot 39.1% from deep in the playoffs against the New York Knicks and will look to help push Philadelphia forward in the Eastern Conference as he returns in free agency.

“Honestly, man, it was just a different type of basketball that I haven’t really seen in my career,” Oubre said of why he decided to stay with the Sixers. “The professionalism, the inspiration all around me. You’ve got greats. You’ve got All-Stars all around me. You’ve got guys that I’ve been able to get respect from.”

The fact that Oubre was able to earn the respect of his peers in Philadelphia so quickly is a big step for him. That’s a big reason why he wanted to remain with the Sixers.

“It’s kind of tough doing that in your first year with an organization or a program,” he continued. “You always need two, three years to win everybody over a little bit or allow them to see who you are, but in my first year, it happened very fast. I put in a lot of work to be where I am. I think this is the place to get back to where I know I need to be.”

Oubre mentioned once the season ended at the hands of the Knicks that he loved playing for the Sixers and expressed his desire to return. Therefore, he didn’t really need any of his teammates to sell him on returning. He was planning to do anyway.

“Nobody was pitching me, no,” Oubre explained. “But at the end of the day, why would you need to? I think our work that we put together on the court speaks for itself and the work we’ll do in the future will speak for itself. At the end of the day, we stayed in contact. It’s just been nothing but love, man, and I appreciate all my brothers in this locker room, past and present.”

Another big move the Sixers in free agency has, obviously, been the signing of Paul George. Philadelphia was able to land the 9-time All-Star on a 4-year $212 million deal.

“I’m really excited,” Oubre said of George. “I’ve always studied his game. I’ve always been a fan from afar. To be able to get different pieces and nuggets from him, learn his game a little bit–I think we offer different things, but we can both feed and learn off each other. But I’m really excited, man, to learn from him and to just help him do his thing with the rest of his career that he has left. I’m really excited.”

There is this thought process that Oubre and George have some type of “beef” from the past, but Oubre wants to squash that. The two of them are competitors and anything from their past was just that: competition.

“Obviously, everybody wants to talk about a beef or whatever,” Oubre finished. “There’s never been a beef. We’re just two competitors who respect each other on the court, and we just try to go at it really hard. So now that we’re on the same team, we can do that to other people. I’m excited.”

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Sixers to bring back Kelly Oubre Jr. on a 2-year $16.3 million deal

The Philadelphia 76ers have agreed to a deal to keep Kelly Oubre Jr. in the City of Brotherly Love.

The Philadelphia 76ers have had a busy first night of free agency. Not only did they meet with and eventually sign Paul George to a 4-year deal, they were able to bring in veterans Eric Gordon and Andre Drummond on deals while also keeping one of their own.

Kelly Oubre Jr., who proved to be a steal in the 2023-24 season on a veteran minimum deal, has agreed to a 2-year $16.3 million deal to remain in Philadelphia. He averaged 15.4 points and 5.0 rebounds for the Sixers.

Oubre proved to be a very valuable piece to Philadelphia. He’s somebody who can produce on both ends of the floor and he is one of the more athletic players in the league.

As the Sixers now move forward, the challenge will be to fill out the roster around George, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey. They have been able to do so thus far, but there is still work to do for this front office.

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Sixers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. ranked 19th-best small forward in the league

Philadelphia 76ers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. comes in ranked as the 19th-best small forward in the league.

Philadelphia 76ers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. joined the team late in the free agency process in 2023. With roughly a week to go before training camp, Oubre signed a vet minimum deal with the Sixers and he outperformed his contract in every way possible.

He averaged 15.4 points and 5.0 rebounds while providing elite athleticism on either end of the floor. As he enters free agency, Oubre is going to be one of the more sought-after players due to his ability to do a little bit of everything. One has to assume that the Sixers will want to keep him around.

HoopsHype ranked the top 20 small forwards in the league and Oubre came in ranked 19th on the list:

An athletic swingman with good defensive versatility who excels as a slasher on offense, Kelly Oubre had a very solid 2023-24 at an important time, considering he did so on a minimum salary heading into unrestricted free agency.

The Sixers, of course, have to focus on getting another big name next to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, but Philadelphia is in a good position to keep Oubre. Once the Sixers handle their business in the early part of free agency, they can then focus on filling out the roster.

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Sixers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. ranked No. 100 on top NBA players list

Philadelphia 76ers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. comes in ranked No. 100 on the list of top players in the NBA.

The Philadelphia 76ers were able to get Kelly Oubre Jr. on a vet minimum deal late in free agency in 2023 and he produced at a high level. He averaged 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 44.1% from the floor.

That type of production will earn him a raise in the 2024 offseason in free agency. Whether that’s with the Sixers or elsewhere, Oubre figures to be sought after in the upcoming free agent frenzy.

HoopsHype put together a list of the top 100 players in the league after the 2023-24 season and Oubre comes in ranked No. 100 on the list:

An athletic swingman with good defensive versatility who excels as a slasher on offense, Kelly Oubre had a very solid 2023-24 at an important time, considering he did so on a minimum salary heading into unrestricted free agency.

Oubre should garner some interest in free agency as he can play 3 or small-ball 4 and make a positive impact during his time on the floor thanks to his ability to guard multiple positions and finish athletically around the basket.

One has to believe that Oubre will be somebody the Sixers would like to bring back. He has the athleticism to fit next to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey and he does a lot of great things on both ends of the floor from the wing position.

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With NBA Finals over, Sixers can begin negotiating with own free agents

With the finals over, the Philadelphia 76ers can now begin negotiating with their own free agents.

The 2023-24 season is in the books as the Boston Celtics took home the franchise’s 18th title following a Game 5 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday. The Celtics went 16-3 during their playoff run and, quite frankly, looked dominant.

The Philadelphia 76ers will now head back to the drawing board and try to take down the Celtics in the Eastern Conference. President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey has the team in a good position when considering the cap space he has come up with to try and acquire another max player.

With the finals now over, the Sixers can begin negotiating with their own free agents. Philadelphia has a handful of free agents to make decisions on such as Kelly Oubre Jr., Nic Batum, Kyle Lowry, and others.

Tyrese Maxey is also a free agent, but one has to assume that the Sixers will take care of him rather quickly as they view him as one of the building blocks of a championship team.

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Sixers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. makes big move with CAA as free agency draws near

Philadelphia 76ers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. makes a big move with CAA before free agency gets set to begin.

Free agency in the NBA is set to begin on June 30 as the Philadelphia 76ers look to add more talent and upgrade the roster around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. They will have a ton of cap space to bring in another max player while also being able to fill out the roster with solid role players.

One of those role players is one of their own free agents: Kelly Oubre Jr.

The Sixers brought in Oubre late in free agency before the 2023-24 season and got a ton of production on a vet minimum. He averaged 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.1 steals. He shot 44.1% from the floor and 31.1% from deep.

As free agency draws near, Oubre has signed on with CAA agency after not having an agent in the 2023 offseason.

One has to believe that the Sixers will look into bringing Oubre back. He was way too good on a smaller deal and Philadelphia will be looking to continue to build a championship roster to contend in the Eastern Conference.

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Sixers expected to bring back Kelly Oubre Jr., Nic Batum, Kyle Lowry

The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to bring back Kelly Oubre Jr., Nic Batum, and Kyle Lowry in free agency.

The Philadelphia 76ers have set themselves up very nicely in the 2024 offseason. They have a ton of cap space thanks to the moves made by President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey and they will be major players in free agency and in trades.

The goal is to bring in another star next to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey in order to take that next step in the Eastern Conference and overtake the Boston Celtics in the East.

With that being said, the Sixers do still need to fill out the rest of the roster. Philadelphia has a number of solid free agents that should be brought back and per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, they are focusing on three major ones:

Based on those constraints, a source said Nico Batum, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Kyle Lowry are the free agents the team most likely would like to re-sign. Not only do they mesh well with All-Stars Maxey and Joel Embiid, they might not command a lot of money in the free-agent market.

Oubre was a consistent player on a regular basis for Philadelphia averaging 15.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game while playing on the veteran’s minimum. The Sixers certainly were appreciative of his athleticism and ability to produce on both ends of the floor.

Batum was acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers in the James Harden trade and shot 39.9% from deep in 57 games with 38 starts. He ended up shooting 40.9% from deep in the playoffs and has great chemistry with Embiid. The Sixers should certainly bring him back.

As for Lowry, he will be 39 when the playoffs start in 2025. He did produce for Philadelphia averaging 8.0 points and 4.6 assists in 23 games with 20 starts after being picked up in the buyout market. Assuming he does return, he should take on a lesser role for the Sixers.

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Sixers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. highlights areas where he wants to improve in

Philadelphia 76ers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. highlights areas where he would like to improve in the 2024 offseason.

PHILADELPHIA — Kelly Oubre Jr. just wrapped up a rather productive season with the Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged 15.4 points and 5 rebounds along with a career-high 1.5 assists. He shot 44.1% from the floor and 31.1% from deep.

As he heads into the offseason, Oubre will be a free agent after signing a veteran’s minimum in the 2023 offseason in Philadelphia. Considering his production, he will likely receive a hefty raise in the 2024 offseason.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement. As Oubre looks into the offseason, the veteran has highlighted a few areas to improve in.

“Obviously, my 3-point shot,” Oubre said. “Playing off two feet. There’s a lot of things I’ve leaned throughout this series, and just my overall game. I’ve always said the same cliché answer. I just need to get better overall, but at the end of the day, man, just honing in on my offensive game, but also just keeping my body right and keeping my body ready to lock up on defense because I want to guard the best players.”

The veteran definitely could improve as a 3-point shooter. He had a knack for knocking down some clutch shots from deep, but his 3-point shot isn’t consistent. That would be a big help to his game on the offensive end and make him more well-rounded.

He was solid on the defensive end throughout the season and in the first-round series with the New York Knicks. That’s also an area, though, that he would like to continue taking steps forward.

“I wanna guard the best players and I want to go at them if they decide to guard me because a lot of people do,” Oubre added. “A lot of people rest on defense, and I don’t do that. I like to get it the hard way.”

Oubre has made strides throughout his time in the NBA. He knows he can find some consistency and be a better player as he continues to grow.

“I need to get better,” he added. “Obviously, my two years — when you look at my career — that have been down years since I’ve actually leaned how to play basketball have been 15.4 the usage rate is where it is. I actually was a little better this year than I was in Golden State, but it’s a learning year for me.”

At the end of the day, as long as Oubre continues to understand that there is work to be done, one should assume that he can continue to rise as a player.

“It’s very tough coming into a new situation in the first year and getting to know all the guys in the locker room, get to know the system and stuff like that so you can never really judge it off of one year,” he finished. “You have to judge it over a year time span, but I can only get better. I wanna get better. I have the best trainer in the world. I have guys in my camp who push me to do so and my wife also pushes me. At the end of the day, man, I know the sky’s the limit for me. The sky is heaven so I’m gonna continue to try to climb and get there.”

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