Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle praised new small forward Kelly Oubre Jr.
The Indiana Pacers signed Kelly Oubre Jr. in the offseason and the veteran small forward is already turning heads.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters that Oubre Jr. has been playing very well in training camp thus far.
"He had a great day today. He had a large impact on practice today at both ends," Carlisle said, via Circle City Spin. "He shot the ball really well. Defensively, he's sticky, he's tough, he's difficult to screen, and he's an edgy competitor. So it's exactly what we need."
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 this 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 this 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.
Without the Haliburton, the Pacers won only 19 games last season. However, Siakam played well. The former Toronto Raptors wing averaged 24.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game and made his fourth All-Star team.
One of the top players in the NBA, Haliburton had an outstanding 2024-25 campaign for the Pacers. He averaged 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.7 blocks per game and made the All-NBA Third Team.
Haliburton is averaging 19.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 10.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.6 blocks per game in a Pacers uniform. He signed a five-year, $244 million extension with the Pacers in July 2023.
The talented floor general will make $48,924,624 this season, $52,298,736 in 2027-28 and $55,672,848 in 2028-29, the final year of his deal.
Haliburton 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. The basketball world can't wait to see Hali play again.
