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The Golden State Warriors may want Kelly Oubre Jr. back but it’s still doubtful

By Nathan Beighle

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 25: Kelly Oubre Jr. #12 of the Golden State Warriors warms up before the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on March 25, 2021 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 25: Kelly Oubre Jr. #12 of the Golden State Warriors warms up before the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on March 25, 2021 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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The Golden State Warriors and shooting guard Kelly Oubre Jr. may both want to reunite next season, but if it were to happen, the guard would have to take a massively discounted contract. That feels unlikely.

Oubre Jr. missed the last 12 games of the season, and he was out 17 of the last 22.

After missing five in April, Oubre Jr. returned for five games, coming off the bench while Kent Bazemore was given the starting role. It was later reported that Oubre Jr. had a torn ligament in his wrist and a fracture in his palm.

The Golden State Warriors and guard Kelly Oubre Jr. may be on the same page in terms of his upcoming free agency but that doesn’t mean a deal will get done.

It was tough seeing the Warriors lose both their last two games by single digits, but it’s even a more difficult pill to swallow knowing that this team wasn’t at full strength. Both Oubre Jr. and rookie center James Wiseman missed the play-in tournament.

If either had been an option for the Warriors, they could’ve easily still been playing meaningful basketball.

As for Oubre Jr., he wasn’t quite the same scorer that he was prior to joining the Warriors. He averaged 15.4 points per game and was at 18.7 his final season in Phoenix. Nonetheless, Oubre Jr. was pivotal in the early-season success Golden State had.

General manager Bob Myers wouldn’t mind re-signing Oubre Jr., but that doesn’t seem very likely despite the potential mutual interest.

The Warriors have four max-contract players. Draymond Green, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Andrew Wiggins are all being paid handsomely.

One would have to go for Oubre Jr. to be re-signed and to be fair, Wiggins is the only one that may be on the block. Even he proved to be a consistent force and would be a better fit with the Dubs following Thompson’s return.

Now, Myers is a cap wizard, and Joe Lacob has shown a desire to spend in order to make this team a true title contender. But, bringing back Oubre Jr. at even his current salary just wouldn’t happen. They only were able to bring him in because they used a trade exception to stay within cap limits.

With teams like New York freeing up cap space this offseason, seeing Oubre Jr. being tossed a $20 million/year contract wouldn’t be too shocking. That’s something the Dubs couldn’t match, and that’s why a reunion just doesn’t make much sense.

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For now, it’s good to know where the two sides are, but despite the good relationship, seeing the two agree on terms should still be pretty far off.

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