Kelly Oubre Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Sixers Notes: Oubre, Harden, Nurse, Morey, Embiid

December 4th, 2023 at 8:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Sixers forward Kelly Oubre has been cleared to play on Wednesday after going through a full practice on Monday, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Oubre has been sidelined since Nov. 10 due to injuries suffered in a reported hit-and-run accident. Oubre, who was signed to a one-year contract as a free agent, was off to a hot start before the incident, averaging 16.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

Oubre was reluctant to share details about it due to an ongoing police investigation. However, he’s upset that some people have expressed doubts about his story.

“This was and is a very traumatic situation for me and my family,” Oubre said. “I just wish that my life wasn’t The Truman Show, where everybody can kind of watch it and have their own opinion about my life. This is very hard for us to have to deal with — and for me to miss being on the court, which keeps me sane. A lot of people are very inconsiderate and insensitive to try to worry about video cameras and [stuff] about something that happened with my life, and it’s very detrimental to me and missing time with my job.”

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James Harden told Sam Amick of The Athletic that he was promised a max deal by the Sixers front office. However, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack post that he spoke to a Sixers source on Monday who refuted Harden’s claim. According to Stein’s source, no such promise was made after Harden agreed to a two-year deal with a player option in the summer of 2022.
The 76ers have thrived since the Harden trade and Yaron Weitzman of Fox Sports details how coach Nick Nurse and top exec Daryl Morey put plans in motion even before the deal was made. They were tweaking schemes in order to maximize the team’s potential without the mercurial guard. Nurse also gave Joel Embiid advice on how he could be more effective in the postseason. “Just having more variety and less predictability,” Nurse said. “Not having the same rhythm to every game, not doing the same thing over and over, just making things a little bit more unpredictable. That way [opponents] don’t know what’s coming as much, and you’re hard to prepare for.”
Embiid and Tyrese Maxey were both at Sixers practice on Monday after missing Friday’s game at Boston due to illness, Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.

Injury Notes: Oubre, Sixers, Edwards, Murray, Booker, Wiggins

November 30th, 2023 at 4:16pm CST by Rory Maher

Sixers wing Kelly Oubre was a full practice participant on Thursday and also did some extra work after practice, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Oubre hasn’t played since November 10 after being struck by a vehicle. There was initially some optimism that he could be upgraded from out to questionable for Friday’s matchup with Boston, but sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium that the veteran swingman is targeting a return next week, possibly Wednesday against Washington or Friday against Atlanta (Twitter link).

According to Pompey, X-rays on Nicolas Batum‘s injured finger were negative and he plans to play against the Celtics. Star center Joel Embiid is questionable with an illness, but head coach Nick Nurse thinks he’ll be ready to go, Pompey adds.

Here are a few more injury notes:

Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards sustained a bruised right hip on Tuesday against Oklahoma City after taking a hard fall, causing him to exit the game, according to an Associated Press report relayed by ESPN.com. Edwards is officially listed as doubtful for Thursday’s game against Utah, but forward Kyle Anderson indicated the fourth-year guard won’t play, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Free agent addition Troy Brown is likely to start in Edwards’ place, Krawczynski adds (via Twitter).
Making his return from a hamstring injury on Wednesday, Nuggets guard Jamal Murray contributed 16 points (on 4-of-14 shooting), six rebounds and six assists in 22 minutes. However, he appeared to roll his right ankle and might miss Friday’s contest in Phoenix, writes Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post. Murray said he was “frustrated” by the ankle injury, which he iced throughout the game when he wasn’t playing.
The Suns got good and bad news on Wednesday. Kevin Durant returned from a two-game absence in the loss to Toronto, but Devin Booker suffered a right ankle injury after landing on Dennis Schröder‘s foot, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. It’s unclear if Booker will miss time with the injury, but he had his worst game of the season trying to play through it yesterday.
Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins has been ruled out of Thursday’s game against the Clippers, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. The former No. 1 overall pick is dealing with right finger soreness. Golden State will be shorthanded, as Chris Paul (leg contusion) and Gary Payton II (calf) are also out.

Injury Notes: Ball, Bouknight, Butler, Murphy, Reddish, Oubre

November 28th, 2023 at 1:28pm CST by Luke Adams

There’s some good news and bad news on the injury front for the Hornets. The team confirmed (via Twitter) that star guard LaMelo Ball will be unavailable on Tuesday in New York for Charlotte’s final round robin game in the in-season tournament, as he’s been ruled out due to a right ankle strain.

However, guard James Bouknight, who has spent the entire season recovering from knee surgery that he underwent last month, has been cleared to return and will be active for the first time on Tuesday. According to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link), Bouknight described himself as “excited (and) anxious,” noting that it has been quite some time since he played.

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

The Heat still have a chance to claim a spot in the quarterfinals of the in-season tournament with a win over Milwaukee tonight, but if they’re going to do it, they’ll need to do it without Jimmy Butler. He has been ruled out for Tuesday’s contest due to a sprained right ankle, per the team (Twitter link).
With CJ McCollum reportedly nearing a return for the Pelicans, will Trey Murphy be right behind him? Christian Clark of NOLA.com hears from multiple sources that there’s optimism Murphy could make his season debut next week. Murphy underwent surgery in September to repair a torn meniscus in his knee.
Cam Reddish, who has missed the Lakers‘ past three games with a groin strain, is “extremely close” to returning, head coach Darvin Ham said on Monday, according to Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group (Twitter link).
Sixers forward Kelly Oubre won’t play on Wednesday, but head coach Nick Nurse isn’t ruling out the possibility that Oubre could be back in action on Friday, tweets Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports. Oubre, who hasn’t played since November 10 after being struck by a vehicle, took part in contact drills in practice on Tuesday.

Atlantic Notes: Morris, Oubre, Nets, Siakam

November 27th, 2023 at 10:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Marcus Morris is trying to stay positive with the Sixers, even though he’s played a limited role since being traded from the Clippers in the James Harden blockbuster. Morris scored 16 points in 20 minutes during the team’s blowout victory over the Lakers on Monday but has played eight or fewer minutes in six of 10 games this season.

“Just naturally being a 12-year starter, something like that, trying to find my ways,” he told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “It’s a little, you know what I’m saying? I didn’t expect it to go that way. You know it’s a challenge. I’m up for the challenge. So like I said, whatever is thrown my way, I accept it and try to help in any capacity that I can.”

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In the same story, Pompey reports that Kelly Oubre participated in the Sixers’ practice on Sunday. Oubre, who is recovering from broken ribs suffered when he was struck by a vehicle while walking, also participated in the team’s shootaround on Monday, Pompey tweets.
The Nets may not only need to beat Toronto on Tuesday to advance to the in-season tournament quarterfinals — they may have to run up the score to win a tiebreaker, Brian Lewis of the New York Post notes. Brooklyn is 2-1 entering the final game of its group stage. “Oh, I don’t know all the particular rules. I know we’ve got to win by a certain amount,” guard Spencer Dinwiddie said.
Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, who will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer, is being posted up more by the new coaching staff and it’s working, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca writes. He’s posting up nearly 17% of his possessions, compared to just 10.3% of his possessions last season. According to NBA.com, Siakam is shooting 60.9% on his post-up attempts. “It’s a natural progression of our team. We’re not forcing any post-ups, we’re not calling plays to post up. But if there’s a mismatch in transition or him recognizing that he can get it down there, we’ll take it,” coach Darko Rajakovic said.

Atlantic Notes: Reed, Oubre, Mazzulla, Celtics’ Starters

November 21st, 2023 at 5:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers retained Paul Reed in free agency on a three-year, $23.5MM deal this summer. Coach Nick Nurse would like to get more bang for those bucks and expand the big man’s playing time, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

“I think that Paul (has) played so well that it’s hard to not let him stay out there. In fact, I’ve been trying to keep him out there a little bit longer, figure out a way to keep him out there,” the Sixers coach said of Reed, who is averaging 4.1 points and career highs of 4.4 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 13 minutes per night as Joel Embiid’s backup.

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Kelly Oubre took another step in his recovery from being struck by a vehicle while walking in a hit-and-run accident. The Sixers forward returned to the practice court on Monday, Pompey writes. Oubre suffered broken ribs in the incident. He’ll be reevaluated in approximately one week. “I think getting him moving was the first step,” Nurse said. “Getting him into some contact and things is the next step. I think after [Tuesday] we’ll have a little better read on the timeline.”
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla asserted himself and sent a message by pulling his stars in the third quarter against Memphis on Sunday and it worked, John Tomase of NBC Sports Boston notes. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday sat for a seven-plus minute stretch while reserves closed out the quarter. They returned for the fourth quarter as the team pulled out a 102-100 win. Still, Mazzulla wasn’t impressed. “I don’t think we deserved to win that game,” he said,
For the most part, however, the Celtics‘ starters have blended well while racing to an 11-3 record, Michael Pina of The Ringer writes. Prior to their loss to Charlotte on Monday, the starting five — that also includes Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White — had a league-leading plus-104 overall rating while generating 124.1 points per 100 possessions on a 66.6 true shooting percentage. “[They’re] one of the best starting fives in the league, if not the best starting five in the league,” Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said.

Sixers Notes: Oubre, Nurse, Springer, LaVine, Maxey

November 16th, 2023 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers coach Nick Nurse told reporters he doesn’t have any reason to doubt Kelly Oubre‘s version of an accident over the weekend that left him a broken rib, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Oubre said he was walking near his residence Saturday night when he was struck in the chest by the driver’s-side mirror of a vehicle that was making a turn. A police spokesperson said Wednesday that surveillance footage of the area hasn’t shown the accident, and the investigation is ongoing.

“Listen, I don’t think it’s very fair to him to say that he’s made up some story,” Nurse said after Wednesday’s game. “I just don’t. I’m going to believe him at his word. He’s one of our players, and we’re going to stand behind him. So am I.”

Medics treated Oubre at the scene, and he was taken to Thomas Jefferson University hospital for injuries to his rib, hip and leg before being released Saturday night. Police Sgt. Eric Gripp told Pompey that Oubre isn’t being accused of anything, but police still haven’t been able to verify his version of events. Nurse said he would only become concerned if law enforcement were to determine that Oubre’s story isn’t true.

“Listen, like I said before, I believe Kelly at his word,” Nurse added. “I don’t have any other conversations or anything right now to comment on. I’m concentrating on this game. If some more evidence or anything else comes to light, we will handle it when it comes to light.”

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Jaden Springer was kept on the bench in three of the Sixers’ last four games, but he looked like a rotation player on Wednesday, Pompey adds in a separate story. The third-year guard hit 4-of-5 shots from the field and was a team-best +20 for the night. “It was really coming in and trying to make an impact,” Springer said, “like staying aggressive. I know my defense is going to be there. But I was trying to show a little more on offense, just showing I can help on both.”
The Sixers have been mentioned as a potential suitor for Zach LaVine, but Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column that the Bulls guard is unlikely to wind up in Philadelphia. Stein cites a recent interview in which Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said he’s looking for his next major addition to be another play-maker who is “pretty solid on both ends,” and Stein notes that description doesn’t fit LaVine.
Appearing on The Bill Simmons Podcast this week (hat tip to Bleacher Report), former Sixers coach Doc Rivers said Tyrese Maxey is a much better fit as the lead ball-handler alongside Joel Embiid than James Harden was. “Tyrese, you knew this was going to happen,” Rivers said. “I said that he was going to have a breakout year. Now, I did say it with the knowledge that I felt James wasn’t going to be there. I wouldn’t have made that prediction the other way because he wouldn’t have the ball in his hands.”

Sixers Notes: Wings, Oubre, Embiid, Maxey

November 15th, 2023 at 6:51pm CST by Luke Adams

For as good as the Sixers have been so far this season, the wing rotation remains a puzzle to figure out for the 8-2 squad, according to Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. As Mizell details, between the roster changes that occurred in the James Harden trade and players being in and out of the lineup for personal reasons or due to injuries, head coach Nick Nurse has had to continue experimenting with different combinations in those positions.

Danuel House had been out of the rotation for much of the season but logged 34 total minutes over the team’s past two games. He’s one player who has been affected by what Mizell refers to as the team’s “ever-changing wing hierarchy” but he says he’s not bothered by his inconsistent role.

“I’ve never been a player to go up in the coach’s office and be like, ‘Hey, Coach, what’s going on?'” House said on Tuesday. “I trust his process. He’s the coach. The organization hired him to make sure they would take care of them and us, to make sure that he’d get us where we need to be.”

Currently, the team is without Kelly Oubre (fractured rib) and Nicolas Batum (personal), which has resulted in minutes bumps for House and Marcus Morris. Furkan Korkmaz, who has requested to be traded out of Philadelphia in the past, is another player whose minutes have fluctuated.

“The difference this year is Nick is trying to get everybody in,” Korkmaz told Mizell. “It’s not like he chooses three guys and then lets those guys play 15 or 20 minutes. If it’s three minutes, five minutes, 10 minutes, whatever the minutes, he just puts people out there. It’s still early [in the] season. He’s just trying to find a way for the real rotation. … There [are] opportunities for everybody.”

Here’s more on the 76ers:

Surveillance footage that has been reviewed so far by the Philadelphia Police Department shows no evidence that a collision took place at the Center City intersection where Oubre reported being hit by a vehicle, a police spokesperson said on Wednesday, per Max Marin, Ximena Conde, and Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. A source who spoke to The Inquirer stressed that Oubre is new to the area and was shaken up after being struck by the vehicle, so he may not have provided an accurate account in his initial statement to police of when and where the alleged hit-and-run took place. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Oubre’s injury absence may not be as lengthy as initially anticipated, Appearing on NBA Countdown on Wednesday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter video link) said there’s a “realistic expectation” that Oubre could return to action in about “two-plus weeks” — either around the end of November or start of December.
Star center Joel Embiid had been considered a game-time decision for Wednesday’s tilt vs. Boston after being listed as questionable due to left hip soreness, but he’s playing, as Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports tweets. Embiid, who has never appeared in more than 68 games in a season, has yet to miss a game in 2023/24.
Former Sixers guards Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz, and Harden never turned into the sort of long-term partner for Embiid that the franchise envisioned, but there’s reason to believe Tyrese Maxey can be that player, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Through 10 games, Maxey has averaged 28.4 points, 7.0 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per night with a .493/.429/940 shooting line. “He’s running a pretty good floor game right now,” Nurse said last week. “He’s going to what’s open. And I think that was everybody’s question: Can he create for somebody else?” With Maxey showing his bona fides as both a scorer and a play-maker, the Sixers should be able to approach this season’s trade deadline confident they have two stars to build around, not just one, says Bontemps.

Atlantic Notes: Oubre, Simmons, Dinwiddie, Towns

November 14th, 2023 at 10:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Sixers forward Kelly Oubre is back with the team and in “good spirits,” head coach Nick Nurse told The Associated Press and other media outlets. Oubre suffered a broken rib, lacerations and other assorted injuries when he was struck by a vehicle near his residence on Saturday.

Oubre will be re-examined at the end of the week and a timetable for his return could be set at that time, the AP report adds.

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Nets coach Jacque Vaughn labeled Ben Simmons‘ latest ailment a “bump in the road,” Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. “This is just a bump that’s in his road right now that happened. Its not like he wanted it to happen,” Vaughn said. “He was playing well and this happened. Everybody’s body is different. This is what he’s dealing with and we’ll support him while he’s dealing with it.” Simmons will be out at least another week due to a nerve impingement in his back.
Prior to Simmons being sidelined, Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie was struggling with his new role of playing off the ball. “He’s still wrapping his head around how he fits into the different lineups he’s been in, which is definitely understandable,’’ Vaughn said. “But that’s a part of growing together as a team. We’ll continue to learn about the best position to put him in. But he has an extreme ability to impact second group, first group, small and big lineup.’’ An unrestricted free agent after the season, Dinwiddie is averaging 10.7 and 4.8 assists per game this season, compared to 16.5 points and 9.1 assists after Brooklyn re-acquired him last season.
Would the Knicks be better off pursuing a Karl-Anthony Towns trade this season rather than down the road? The New York Post’s Jenna Lemoncelli relays comments made by ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and Brian Windhorst during a recent podcast, which noted that Towns’ salary jumps from $36MM this season to $49MM in the first year of his extension next season with ascending salary figures in future years.

Sixers Notes: Maxey, Oubre, Batum, Harden Trade

November 13th, 2023 at 8:03am CST by Arthur Hill

During the best game of his career, Tyrese Maxey was thinking about his injured teammate, according to an ESPN report. The Sixers guard posted his first-ever 50-point performance in Sunday’s win over Indiana, then dedicated the outing to Kelly Oubre, who is recovering after being struck by a car Saturday night.

“This had nothing to do with me,” Maxey said. “This is all Kelly Oubre. We’re praying for him. Love my dawg. I just met him, but I love him. I hope he gets well soon.”

Oubre was on the mind of all the Sixers players in their first game since the accident, which left Oubre with a broken rib, along with bruises and cuts. They couldn’t reach him on FaceTime Sunday night, so they sent him a video of their locker room celebration.

“The game today, I’m sure Tyrese was thinking about it and we were all thinking about it,” Joel Embiid said. “We just want (Oubre) to take his time, recover and know that we have his back. He’s needed because he’s a big part of us. We missed him tonight, but he should take his time.”

There’s more from Philadelphia:

Nicolas Batum replaced Oubre in the starting lineup, but the Sixers have plenty of options considering their roster depth following the James Harden trade, observes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Robert Covington and Marcus Morris, who were also acquired in that deal, should see expanded roles, and coach Nick Nurse has other experienced players he can turn to. “I would imagine, we’ve been using Covington, but (he) will probably take some of those minutes,” Nurse said. “There’s still (Furkan Korkmaz) and (Danuel House) there as well, kind of at that wing position that we can possibly see.”
The police report on Oubre states that he was hit in the upper chest by the mirror of a speeding silver vehicle and the driver left the scene, Pompey tweets. Oubre is reported to have injuries to his hip and right leg in addition to the broken rib. Nurse talked to Oubre and said he has an ‘”I’ll be back before you know it’ type of attitude.”
The Sixers are clearly a better team since resolving the Harden standoff, Pompey adds in a separate story. Batum and Covington have upgraded the defense, there’s more quickness all around and Maxey and Tobias Harris are thriving in expanded offensive roles.

Kelly Oubre Released From Hospital After Being Hit By Car

November 12th, 2023 at 11:08am CST by Arthur Hill

NOVEMBER 12, 11:08AM: A statement from the Sixers confirms Oubre’s rib injury and says his condition will be reevaluated in a week, tweets Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports.

NOVEMBER 12, 9:17am: Oubre suffered broken ribs in the accident, along with numerous bruises and cuts, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

NOVEMBER 11, 10:21pm: Oubre has been released from the hospital and will work with the team’s medical staff to recover from his injuries. Wojnarowski tweets.

NOVEMBER 11, 9:15pm: Sixers wing Kelly Oubre is receiving treatment at a Philadelphia-area hospital after being struck by a vehicle tonight while walking near his residence in the Center City area, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Oubre is listed in stable condition.

Oubre is expected to miss “significant time” because of his injuries, but they aren’t believed to be season-ending, sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter link). President of basketball operations Daryl Morey and other team officials are at the hospital with Oubre, he adds.

The 27-year-old signed with Philadelphia in late September after exploring his options in free agency all summer. It’s a one-year-deal worth $2.89MM, so he’ll become a free agent again in July.

Oubre has been a huge bargain so far, averaging 16.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game while shooting 50% from the field and 37.8% from three-point range.

He moved into the starting lineup after James Harden and P.J. Tucker were traded and has been a starter for the past five games.