Golden State Warriors: Acquiring Kelly Oubre Jr. is a steal

The Golden State Warriors pulled off a steal by trading a protected first-round pick and absorbing Kelly Oubre Jr. into their TE.

For months, we contemplated if the Golden State Warriors would use the $17 million dollar trade exception they were granted from Andre Iguodala. Finally, shortly after the 2020 NBA Draft, they used this asset to its full potential by sending a first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Kelly Oubre Jr.

This move has been mostly swept under the radar as the news of Klay Thompson’s injury has left many under the assumption that this will be another dud of a year for the Warriors. But, there is reason to believe the Warriors will stun a lot of people next season.

Have we forgotten how talented Stephen Curry is? Did we forget that even with Kevin Durant injured and Thompson missing a chunk of the 2019 NBA Finals – the Dubs still fell one shot short of forcing the series to a decisive Game 7?

There is an argument to be made that the Dub’s current supporting cast is better than it was in that finals with Durant and Thompson injured. The newly acquired Oubre is an absolute steal for the price they paid to gain him and he is joining a roster consisting of Andrew Wiggins, Eric Paschall, James Wiseman and Jordan Poole.

Oubre, most notably, is going to surprise opponents with his athleticism and shooting ability. He had a career-high year in Phoneix and will look even better in the Warriors’ pace-and-space system.

We can expect Oubre to fill in as a stretch-forward who can run in transition and be used as an off-ball threat for easy points in the paint. His versatility next to Wiggins will create a fun dynamic that the Warriors haven’t had in their offense in recent years.

At 24 years of age, Oubre is going to be a key member of this team for years to come if he commits to the Dubs full time.