Kelly Oubre Jr. left the Philadelphia 76ers for the Indiana Pacers this summer.
The Indiana Pacers added a solid veteran to the team this summer in Kelly Oubre Jr.
Indiana signed Oubre Jr. to a two-year, nearly $17 million contract.
Oubre Jr. spent the previous three seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers. Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice watched Oubre Jr. play up and close personally a lot and he believes the veteran can help the Pacers next season.
"Given his athleticism, quick bursts to the basket and overall athletic prowess, Oubre seems like a strong fit in many respects," Aaronson wrote. "But his subpar playmaking and tendency to be erratic as a decision-maker could be tricky fits within head coach Rick Carlisle's system.
"Perhaps one way to evaluate Oubre's fit: He is Indiana's new curveball. So many of their players fit a similar mold: quick and reliable decision-makers with strong spot-up shooting, capable of playing within themselves. Oubre is ambitious. He sees himself as a high-caliber scorer, and sometimes he can be that. Perhaps the Pacers can benefit from some irrational confidence, even if there are times they have to rein Oubre in."
Oubre Jr. averaged 14.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game last season while shooting 46.7% from the field, 36.0% from beyond the arc and 76.6% from the free-throw line.
A Kansas product, Oubre Jr. has played for the Washington Wizards, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Charlotte Hornets and 76ers. He enters next season with career averages of 13.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game in the regular season and 9.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game in the playoffs.
Pacers GM Chad Buchanan recently spoke about why the team signed Oubre Jr., who will need to defend and shoot the 3-ball at a high level for Indiana next season.
“He impacts the game on the defensive side of the ball as much as he can on the offensive side, which was appealing to us,” Buchanan said on the Setting The Pace podcast. “Last year was probably the best shooting year of his career. We think there’s more room from that regard for Kelly. I think he’ll see more open shots created in our system than he’s probably seen in his career. Optimistic that he’ll be able to knock down shots for us, but also provide some presence as a defender, being able to guard multiple positions, which is important for us.”
Oubre Jr. will come off the bench for the Pacers, who are widely expected to start Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam and Ivica Zubac.
Indiana opens the 2026-27 regular season on October 21 against the New Orleans Pelicans.
