Kelly Oubre Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Celtics, Knicks, Nuggets Among Teams Registering Interest In Yabusele

January 30th, 2025 at 7:39pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Celtics, Knicks, Nuggets and others have called the Sixers to express interest in trading for forward Guerschon Yabusele, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto writes.

As we relayed earlier this week, the Sixers reportedly “love” the French forward, but his impending unrestricted free agent status gives the team plenty to think about at this deadline.

Yabusele is averaging 10.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game so far this season while shooting 50.2% from the field and 39.3% from three. He’s been a crucial part of a Sixers team that has been ravaged by injuries. Yabusele entered Thursday with 22 starts under his belt.

After Yabusele’s $2.09MM salary expires this offseason, he’ll have no shortage of suitors in free agency. The Sixers only hold his Non-Bird rights, so they’re limited in what they can offer him unless they use their mid-level exception — they’ll likely only have the taxpayer form of the MLE.

As Scotto writes, given that the Sixers are 19-27 and currently on the outside looking in for the play-in tournament (though they’re tied with the Bulls), contending teams are calling about Philadelphia’s veterans. Not only would Yabusele bolster any playoff rotation, but his team-friendly contract this year could offer savings for contenders looking to cut costs.

Yabusele isn’t the only player generating interest on the trade market. As we wrote on Monday, Eric Gordon is also receiving interest. Scotto reports that rivals have checked in on Andre Drummond, Kelly Oubre and, notably, Caleb Martin as well. Martin signed a four-year, $35MM deal with Philadelphia this summer — if the Sixers decide to sell their veterans, he would be one of the more coveted players on the block.

Drummond has a player option worth $5MM next year while Oubre has one worth about $8.38MM.

Despite what sounds like healthy interest in players who would make sense to sell for a team interested in draft position, I’m somewhat skeptical the Sixers would proceed with a full-blown fire sale. For starters, as mentioned, Philadelphia is tied with the Bulls for 10th in the East. They’re also just four games out of the sixth seed, entering Thursday. While nothing has gone according to plan for Philadelphia this year, the team remains in position to claim a postseason appearance with better health luck moving forward. The Sixers are on a four-game winning streak, for what it’s worth.

The Sixers’ draft pick in this class is also protected, but only if it lands in the top six. While it’s not unheard of for teams with low odds to win big and move into the top four, the Sixers have likely already won too many games to truly bottom out and end up as one of the league’s worst six teams record-wise. And even if the Sixers did end up with one of the six worst records, there’s still a chance that pick falls out of their hands and into the Thunder’s if they’re leap-frogged by a team with lower odds on lottery night.

If the Sixers envision themselves as contenders next year, it would make sense to keep players like Martin, Oubre and Yabusele who can contribute to winning with a healthier roster.

Sixers Notes: Oubre, Injuries, Drummond, George, Draft Pick

January 17th, 2025 at 3:04pm CST by Tristan Tucker

With Caleb Martin and KJ Martin sidelined with injuries, the Sixers‘ forward depth was thin on Wednesday against New York. Kelly Oubre Jr. slid from shooting guard to power forward, delivering with 16 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and a block. While the Sixers lost for their seventh time in nine games, Oubre’s defensive intensity stood out, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“It’s just kind of getting back to the basics,” Oubre said. “I could speak for myself, like it’s bread and butter for me. If things around me are out of control, then I know I can focus on my energy and my effort on the defensive end.”

Oubre’s has had an impressive defensive season, ranking second in the league in deflections and tied for 14th in steals per game. The Sixers pushed the Knicks to overtime due in part to the defensive play of Oubre, who holds a player option worth roughly $8.38MM for next season.

We have more from the Sixers:

Paul George, Guerschon Yabusele, Kyle Lowry, and KJ Martin didn’t practice for the Sixers on Friday, according to Pompey (Twitter link). However, Caleb Martin was a partial participant and Andre Drummond practiced fully after missing the last six games due to injury. In a separate tweet, Pompey reports head coach Nick Nurse said he has high hopes for Drummond playing Saturday against Indiana. Drummond is listed as probable for that game.
The Sixers need George to step up without Embiid available, Zach Powell and Jared Weiss of The Athletic write. Philadelphia has obviously been worse off without their superstar in Embiid, but if they hope to make a run to the play-in, let alone the playoffs, George will need to play at a high level. It’s an opportunity for George to prove his star quality and to justify the Sixers’ faith in him, Powell and Weiss write.
With the Sixers on the outside looking in for the postseason, Fred Katz of The Athletic notes that they owe their first-round pick to the Thunder if it lands outside the top six. The Sixers currently have the eighth-highest odds for the No. 1 overall pick. With that in mind, Katz ponders whether the Sixers could do what the Mavericks did in 2023, when they fell out of the playoffs and thus, kept their top-10 protected pick, landing a Finals contributor in Dereck Lively II. This stretch without Embiid ahead of the trade deadline could reveal their plans not only for February, but potentially for the draft as well.

Sixers Notes: Injuries, Nance, Athleticism, Arena

January 14th, 2025 at 5:44pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to being without Joel Embiid, Kyle Lowry, and Andre Drummond, as we relayed earlier, the Sixers have also ruled out Paul George (right ankle soreness), Tyrese Maxey (left hand sprain), and Caleb Martin (right groin soreness) for Tuesday’s game vs. Oklahoma City, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter links).

On the plus side, Drummond and KJ Martin, who has been out since December 23 due to a left foot stress reaction, have resumed on-court work, Pompey notes (via Twitter). Drummond and Embiid are considered day-to-day, while KJ Martin’s return timeline is TBD.

In total, eight players are unavailable against the Thunder, so the Sixers will roll with a skeleton crew that includes a starting lineup of Reggie Jackson, Eric Gordon, Ricky Council, Kelly Oubre, and Guerschon Yabusele, tweets Pompey. It’s the first end of a back-to-back set for Philadelphia, so the team will hope to be a bit more whole on Wednesday vs. New York.

Here’s more on the 76ers:

After waiving Pete Nance last Tuesday, the Sixers spent the week surveying the free agent market and considering other options for their open two-way slot, Pompey reports (Twitter link). However, given Embiid’s and Drummond’s injuries, the club ultimately decided that a big man was its biggest need, which is why Nance was re-signed to a new two-way deal earlier today.
Within his takeaways from Sunday’s loss to Orlando, Pompey writes that the veteran Sixers couldn’t keep up with the more youthful Magic, suggesting that Philadelphia’s roster could benefit from an influx of athleticism.
In an in-depth story for The Inquirer, Sean Collins Walsh and Alex Coffey take a closer look at how the Sixers and Comcast Spectacor reached an agreement to keep the team in South Philadelphia, including the role that NBA commissioner Adam Silver played in thawing out an icy relationship between the two sides.

Atlantic Notes: George, Oubre, Cui, Knicks

December 15th, 2024 at 11:06am CST by Arthur Hill

Paul George‘s first season with the Sixers has been a disappointment so far, and not just because of the team’s 7-16 record, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Adding George in free agency was the team’s major move of the summer, but he has struggled to find his role in the offense since returning from an early-season injury. Joel Embiid‘s sinus fracture may force George to take on more of the scoring, but the Sixers have to find a way to get everyone involved when he, Embiid and Tyrese Maxey are on the court together.

“I think just moving a little more, just finding my way of moving,” George responded when asked about improving his production. “Running the floor a little bit better. I think we got to allow each other to create space. So I have to cut to the nail sometimes to allow Tyrese to play in the open court, then I got to do it. But I think for sure, just more clarity for myself.”

Pompey states that George was virtually a “bystander” for much of Friday’s loss to Indiana, finishing the first half with just three points on three shots. Coach Nick Nurse acknowledged the need to get George more involved, but he said the Pacers’ aggressive defense disrupted his team’s normal attack.

“We weren’t very good in the first half,” Nurse said. “Some of the up-court pressure took us out of better execution, right? We really got to look at that and get better. It’s just full-court man-to-man, pick-up pressure. It’s not like it’s a trapping thing. It’s just you still got to be able to ball down the first and get into our stuff and execute stuff.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Although the Sixers are still in 12th place in the East, Kelly Oubre believes they have solved some of their early-season issues, Pompey adds in a separate story. “We’ve been taking strides in the right direction,” Oubre said after the team had its two-game winning streak snapped. “I think tonight was a little step back. But at the end of the day, we cannot define or determine us because we are getting better. Our last ten games have been really good for us. We just have to learn from this one. I wouldn’t say forget it or wash it at all because, obviously, we have enough of those losses that we can do that with, but every game is more and more important. We need to win these. So continue to stay confident and get back to who we are, figure that out, and keep getting better off of that.”
The Nets will waive rookie wing Yongxi Cui to open up a two-way spot for Reece Beekman, who’s being acquired from the Warriors in the Dennis Schröder trade, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Cui will miss the rest of the season after tearing the ACL in his left knee.
The Knicks‘ trade options will be limited this season because they’re about $500K away from their second-apron hard cap, notes Steve Popper of Newsday. Popper considers Mitchell Robinson to be the team’s most valuable trade piece, as the arrival of Karl-Anthony Towns may have made Robinson expendable.

Sixers Notes: KJ Martin, Council, George, Drummond, Trade Options

December 2nd, 2024 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Plagued with a team that has looked old and slow during a disastrous start, Sixers coach Nick Nurse has begun experimenting with younger options, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. KJ Martin and Ricky Council, who are both 23, have seen expanded playing time in the last two games, and Pompey believes they’re earning larger roles.

Martin posted a season-high 19 points, along with six rebounds and three 3-pointers in Saturday’s win at Detroit. He logged more than 27 minutes while shooting 7-of-8 from the field.

“He brought athleticism, obviously,” Nurse said. “He’s able to switch out onto pretty much anybody on the perimeter, keep them in front with some physicality. He made some timely cuts to the rim, made a couple of threes, and just was on the glass. He was doing a good job on everything.”

Council put up similar numbers with 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting in nearly 27 minutes. That followed a 12-point, 10-rebound performance Wednesday against Houston.

“You saw Ricky Council for the second night in a row now, when he got in the game … he knew, ‘I’m supposed to play hard,’” Tyrese Maxey said. “‘I’m supposed to crash. I’m supposed to guard and defend the best offensive player out there. And I do what I do in transition, score the ball.’ Now you’ve got an open spot.”

There’s more on the Sixers:

Paul George said he felt good in his return Saturday after missing three games with a bone bruise on his left knee, Pompey states in a separate story. George concentrated on being a play-maker, setting up open shots for teammates against a collapsing Detroit defense. “That’s just the mindset I’m shifting to just be a play-maker,” he said. “Scoring will happen. Shots will fall. I just want to make winning plays. And I think that the way we want to do is kind of attack, create, open the floor up, and everybody makes plays for one another.”
The Sixers were relieved following an injury scare involving Andre Drummond, Pompey adds. The veteran center wasn’t able to put any weight on his right ankle after collapsing to the court following a put-back basket early in the game, but he escaped a major injury. “They did all the X-rays and stuff and it is just a sprain,” Nurse said. “There’s nothing else there. He’s going to be in a boot, yeah, I say a minute. I think I heard Simon [Rice, the Sixers’ vice president of athlete care] say something like it’s maybe not as bad as it looked. But again, it’s a screen. He’s a big guy, all that kind of stuff.” Drummond will miss three games before being reevaluated this weekend, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Martin’s contract, which includes a non-guaranteed $8MM salary for next season, makes him the team’s top trade candidate, Scotto adds in a full story. Caleb Martin and Kelly Oubre are in the same salary range, but sources tell Scotto that they’re still considered to be valuable parts of the Sixers’ rotation. Scotto suggests that KJ Martin might be packaged with a future first-round pick or two in exchange for an immediate upgrade.

Sixers Notes: Training Camp, George, McCain, Oubre

October 6th, 2024 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers are ready for preseason games to get started after wrapping up training camp in the Bahamas on Saturday, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Spirits are high following an offseason roster makeover that included the addition of Paul George, the top name on this year’s free agent market.

“We had everything that we needed. I feel like a lot of teams can say that. But I feel like last year one of our main things was like that third punch, at times,” Ricky Council said. “We knew we had Tyrese (Maxey). We knew we had Joel (Embiid). But who was going to be that next punch? Who was going to be that defensive stopper? All those types of things. And I feel like we have all that and some this year. … So I feel like our depth is good. Our talent is there. We’re going to play hard. So I think we have it all.”

In addition to bringing in George, Philadelphia fortified its roster with Caleb Martin, Eric Gordon, Andre Drummond, Reggie Jackson and Guerschon Yabusele, along with first-round pick Jared McCain. Coach Nick Nurse had a lot of new weapons to work with during camp, and he believes the week was productive.

“I think we got put in a lot of situations that happened organically this week, which, again, I think helped,” Nurse said. “We brought a big number to camp, which I think helped. I liked the energy, the enthusiasm for the youth. I think that helped. Lots of stuff. So, yeah, I’d say it’s a big two thumbs up for sure.”

There’s more on the Sixers:

George has played alongside plenty of All-Stars throughout his career, and he believes the combination with Embiid and Maxey works “extremely well” together, Pompey states in a separate story. The Sixers’ new Big Three will be relied on to carry the team at both ends of the court, and George is willing to do whatever is necessary to make it successful. “I think just continuing to play off the ball,” he said of his role in the trio. “Continue to find my rhythm, staying aggressive whether I have the ball or I don’t have the ball. But I think just giving myself up for the team, whether it’s spacing, cutting, getting Tyrese off the ball because he’s getting [hot] or finding opportunities to get Joel easy looks and touches as well.”
McCain is already learning something important about the NBA by being around his new teammates, especially those who have been in the league for several years, Pompey adds. “A lot of it is taking care of their bodies,” McCain said. “We got some older people so they have to take care of their bodies. But yeah, just making sure your mental’s straight, making sure you’re getting your work in before and after practice, but just kind of simple things.”
Kelly Oubre has a lot more security now than when he joined the Sixers last summer on a veteran’s minimum contract, per Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Oubre signed a two-year, $16.3MM deal over the offseason, and he feels like a veteran leader on the team. “I just wanted to go to where the love was at,” he said. “… It’s hard to kind of accept me as a human being because I’m very eccentric. I’m me. So once you kind of understand who I am, it makes things easier. I was like, ‘I want to stay where I’m at because they know me and they know my heart and my intentions and who I am off the court.’”

Warriors Notes: Curry, Olympics, Oubre, Ingram

September 4th, 2024 at 9:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Along with winning a gold medal in his first-ever Olympics, Stephen Curry tells Natasha Dye of People Magazine that the experience was memorable because he got to team up with long-time rival LeBron James. Like many others, Curry was impressed by the intense work ethic James displayed with Team USA.

“All the battles we’ve had on the court and the back and forth, the fact that we actually got to be teammates, not just in any game like an All-Star game or whatever, but in high stakes basketball with a lot on the line … I think there’s a deepened respect and friendship there,” Curry said. “Hopefully, there will be more experiences in the future, even if we’re teammates or not.”

Curry added that he’s especially excited as the start of his 16th season with the Warriors draws near. He’s eager to prove that the team can stay in the hunt for a title without Klay Thompson, who left for Dallas during the offseason.

“I love the fact that people don’t think we can keep the pace with some of the other teams that they’re picking in the West,” Curry said. “And I just love that challenge of stepping into a training camp and being able to create your own success — that gets me going. And obviously coming off of this Olympic experience, I’m trying to channel that energy all year.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

During an appearance Tuesday on “The Today Show,” Curry expressed a desire to finish out his career with Golden State, relays Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports Bay Area. Curry didn’t indicate that he plans to call it quits any time soon, but he said he wants to be remembered as a one-team player.
Michael Pina of The Ringer examines the Warriors’ chances of making another title run before Curry retires. He notes that the front office unsuccessfully attempted to trade for Paul George and Lauri Markkanen this summer, leaving Curry with no teammates capable of playing at an All-Star level. Pina observes that Curry’s one-year extension gives general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. more time to upgrade the roster, but it doesn’t ease the sense of urgency that exists with the team’s top star heading for his 37th birthday before the season ends.
Golden State’s cautious approach to roster building dates back to an ill-fated trade for Kelly Oubre in 2020, according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. After Thompson was lost to a season-ending injury, owner Joe Lacob was “the driving force” behind acquiring Oubre despite objections from then-general manager Bob Myers and the coaching staff. Since then, Poole adds, the organization has concentrated on moves that complement the core of the team rather than trying to expand it. Through that prism, sources tell Poole that Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram is viewed as too risky, and Poole describes the chances of an Ingram trade as “minuscule.”

Contract Details: Quickley, Barnes, Batum, Jones, CP3, Oubre, More

July 10th, 2024 at 7:15am CST by Luke Adams

Initially reported to be worth $175MM over five years, Immanuel Quickley‘s new contract with the Raptors actually has a base value of $162.5MM, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet (Twitter link). It also features $12.5MM in unlikely incentives – $2.5MM per year – that would allow the guard to max out at $175MM if he earns all of them. But for now the cap hits for Quickley will be $32.5MM annually.

Meanwhile, the “Rose rule” language in Scottie Barnes‘ new five-year, maximum-salary extension with the Raptors is fairly straightforward, Murphy notes (Twitter link). Barnes will have a starting salary worth 30% of the 2025/26 salary cap if he makes any All-NBA team – first, second, or third – next season, or if he wins MVP or Defensive Player of the Year. If he doesn’t earn any of those honors, his starting salary will be 25% of the ’25/26 cap, with 8% annual raises from there.

Based on the NBA’s latest salary cap projection, Barnes’ five-year extension would be worth $224,238,150 if it starts at 25% next year’s cap, or $269,085,780 if it starts at 30%.

Here are more details on a few of the contracts recently finalized around the NBA:

Nicolas Batum (15%) and Derrick Jones (5%) each received trade kickers on their new contracts with the Clippers, Hoops Rumors has learned. Batum’s deal is worth the full bi-annual exception ($9,569,400 over two years) with a second-year player option, while Jones’ three-year, $30MM deal was completed using a significant portion ($9,523,810) of the mid-level exception. Los Angeles still has $3,298,190 left on its MLE for now.
Chris Paul‘s one-year contract with the Spurs has a guaranteed base value of $10.46MM, with unlikely incentives that could push his total earnings as high as about $12.03MM, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. That structure allowed San Antonio to create the extra cap room necessary to accommodate Harrison Barnes‘ incoming salary while also putting Paul in position to earn more his initially reported salary of $11MM.
Kelly Oubre, whose two-year, $16,365,150 contract is worth the Sixers‘ entire room exception (and features a player option), waived his right to veto a trade in 2024/25, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. Kings center Alex Len gave up that right as well on his one-year, minimum-salary contract, Hoops Rumors has learned.
As expected, the contracts signed by new Kings guard Jordan McLaughlin and new Pelicans center Daniel Theis are one-year deals worth the veteran’s minimum.

Sixers Re-Sign Kelly Oubre On Two-Year Contract

July 1st, 2024 at 12:51am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 7: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

“Kelly was one of our most important contributors last season, bringing physicality, energy, and toughness to the table on a nightly basis,” top executive Daryl Morey said. “We’re excited to have him back and believe he’ll play a key role in our pursuit of a championship.”

JULY 1: Kelly Oubre is returning to Philadelphia, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the free agent forward is in agreement with the Sixers on a new two-year, $16.3MM deal. The contract will include a second-year player option, Wojnarowski adds.

After averaging 20.3 points per game with the Hornets in 2022/23, Oubre accepted a one-year, minimum-salary contract with Philadelphia last summer and played a significant role for the club this past season, averaging 15.4 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 1.5 APG in 68 games.

An athletic, versatile defender with good size, Oubre made 52 starts and averaged 30.2 minutes per night, logging more total minutes in ’23/24 than any Sixer besides Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris. He came in at No. 31 on our list of this year’s top 50 free agents.

The terms of Oubre’s new deal suggest he’ll be re-signed using Philadelphia’s room exception once the team has used up its cap space. As we outlined earlier, based on the $140.59MM salary cap for 2024/25, that exception for cap-room teams will start at just under $8MM and can be worth up to about $16.37MM over two years.

The 76ers have had a busy first day in free agency, reaching contract agreements with Andre Drummond (two years, $10MM), and Eric Gordon (veteran’s minimum) in addition to Oubre. Philadelphia is also the strong frontrunner to land star forward Paul George after the Clippers issued a statement on Sunday announcing that George will be signing with a new team.

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, George, Oubre, Finals

June 16th, 2024 at 1:42pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Sixers center Joel Embiid and Clippers forward Paul George appeared together on ABC’s “NBA Countdown” program Friday ahead of Game 4 of the Finals, prompting speculation that there could be mutual interest in a Philadelphia team-up this summer, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“Hopefully, this offseason we find a way to get better and add some pieces,” Embiid said, while shooting a meaningful glance in the direction of George, who was seated next to him.

George, 34, has a $48.8MM player option for the 2024/25 season, and the Sixers could easily carve out maximum-salary cap space. George and the Clippers have yet to come to terms on a new contract extension deal. While the 6’10” forward, a nine-time All-Star, remains a pretty lethal two-way threat, he has struggled with injury issues over the past several seasons.

Pompey writes that, should George become available in free agency, the Sixers think a trio of George, Embiid and All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey could be enough to help the team compete for championship hardware in 2024/25.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Sixers small forward Kelly Oubre Jr., an unrestricted free agent this summer, has signed with CAA to represent him, the agency announced (via Twitter). The 6’7″ swingman enjoyed a solid debut season with Philadelphia on a veteran’s minimum contract. He played so well, in fact, that he seems to be in line for a major raise this summer. Across 68 games (52 starts), he averaged 15.4 points on a .441/.311/.750 slash line, plus 5.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.7 blocks.
A 122-84 Game 4 massacre in their Finals series with the Mavericks felt like déjà vu to the Celtics, notes Steve Buckley of The Athletic. Dallas, with its back against the wall trailing 3-0 in the series, responded in a huge way, and looks to have some fight left after all. Boston found itself in an 0-3 hole last season, in the Eastern Conference Finals, to the Heat. The Celtics managed to make it a series, winning the next three straight to push Miami to a Game 7, which the Heat won. “A year ago this time, we were down 0-3 and we were essentially fighting for our lives,” All-NBA Celtics forward Jayson Tatum said. “So very short answer, yeah, we understand what it’s like from their point of view, and you know, they came out super aggressive.”
In case you missed it, Celtics All-Defensive guard Derrick White is looking like a favorite to replace injured All-NBA Clippers wing Kawhi Leonard on Team USA in next month’s Paris Olympics, should Leonard not recover in time. White could work out a contract extension this summer to stay with Boston. A strong showing for Team USA could help strengthen his case.