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Golden State Warriors: Kelly Oubre Jr.’s market should be hot

By Nathan Beighle

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 25: Kelly Oubre Jr. #12 of the Golden State Warriors handles the ball during the game against the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center on April 25, 2021 in San Francisco, 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 Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 25: Kelly Oubre Jr. #12 of the Golden State Warriors handles the ball during the game against the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center on April 25, 2021 in San Francisco, 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 Daniel Shirey/Getty Images) /
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After seeing all the chaos caused by Rudy Gobert and Ben Simmons over the past week, unrestricted free agent guard Kelly Oubre Jr. may have seen a boost in his stock, signaling his chance of re-signing with the Golden State Warriors is slim.

What have we seen with the elimination of the Jazz and Sixers?

Given the last few weeks of playoffs basketball, the skill set that Warriors guard Kelly Oubre Jr. possesses may have just boosted his value.

One takeaway from those two top seeds being eliminated is the need for athletic guards to play in small-ball lineups. The Jazz couldn’t match the Clippers’ small-ball lineup with Gobert on the court, and they paid the price.

As for the Sixers, their point guard, Ben Simmons, has been under fire as he didn’t take a single field goal attempt in the fourth quarter of their Game 7 matchup with the Hawks. It wasn’t just a fluke as he’d been reluctant to shoot for most of the series.

What can be learned from the performances of these two elite franchises? Well, one thing is that a guard like Oubre Jr. will be at a premium this offseason. Oubre Jr. and Tim Hardaway Jr. are two instant-offense guards that can serve a team well in the playoffs.

Oubre Jr. is not afraid to shoot, and he’s a capable floor-spacing guard. Combine those two, and you have a player that should see a hot market this offseason. Oubre Jr. averaged 15.4 points per game this past season, down from 18.8 during his last season with the Suns.

While not putting up terrific numbers defensively, Oubre Jr. is a stud on that end of the floor because of his athleticism. He notched a steal and 0.8 blocks per game last season. His energy was also unmatched on that end of the court.

Teams already have shown interest in Oubre Jr., but with free agency still several weeks out, it should be expected that many other teams will get in on the action. He’s looking at getting at least $20 million annually, so his price is hefty.

It’s one most would be willing to pay as the 25-year-old could be a building block of a franchise.

He’s certainly not a team’s No. 1 option, but he could be a championship-contending team’s No. 3 option. That’s his ceiling for now, and given what we saw in the playoffs and from him during his time with the Warriors, his value would be a steal.

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For Oubre Jr., the market should be getting even hotter as the offseason progresses.

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