With the Charlotte Hornets, who were beset by injuries last season, Kelly Oubre Jr. averaged a career-high 20.3 points per game. However, when the NBA free agency game began this past offseason like a game of musical chairs, the music stopped and he was left standing.
In the middle of the uncertainty surrounding James Harden, Oubre eventually signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Philadelphia 76ers in mid-September. It’s possible that he saw this as an opportunity for a meaningful rotation role. It proved to be the proper decision because next summer he might be playing his way into a sizable salary.
Before being struck by a hit-and-run in the middle of November, Oubre averaged 16.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 three-pointers, and 1.4 steals in just 29.0 minutes per game over his eight appearances. Following the Sixers’ trade of P.J. Tucker to the Los Angeles Clippers, he started each of the next five games and shown his ability to play both off the bench and in the starting lineup.
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