The Indiana Pacers added veteran Kelly Oubre Jr. this offseason.
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.
While giving out offseason grades, ESPN gave the Pacers a "B" for adding Oubre Jr.
Oubre Jr. spent the previous three seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers. The swingman 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.”
The Pacers won only 19 games last season because Tyrese Haliburton missed the entire campaign recovering from the Achilles tendon tear he suffered in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Indiana should be a playoff team again next season with Haliburton back in the lineup alongside Pascal Siakam and Ivica Zubac.
"I expect them right at the top," John Haliburton, Tyrese's dad, told Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson. "I'm not going to lie to you. If you know basketball and you've been paying attention, you know that all of our rookies and second-year players got a chance to really go out there and grow through this run. They got a chance to experience the game at the highest level, slow it down, and understand exactly what it takes to win.
"Now, by the time Tyrese gets back on the floor, these young guys have already been through the fire. So you tell me—what is going to stop them from going to the top? New York won the championship this year, but they won it because Indiana wasn't fully standing in their way at the very end. Next year, with Tyrese back, Indiana will be standing right there."
Tyrese signed a five-year, $244 million extension with the Pacers in July 2023. The talented floor general will make $48,924,624 next season, $52,298,736 in 2027-28 and $55,672,848 in 2028-29, the final year of his deal.
Tyrese has career averages of 17.5 points and 8.8 assists per game in the regular season and 17.9 points and 8.4 assists per game in the playoffs. He's expected to be ready for opening night.
