After an impressive 2022-23 NBA season with the Charlotte Hornets, Kelly Oubre Jr. will likely find himself fielding multiple calls in free agency. Of course, Mitch Kupchak will probably try and retain the talented wing, but given his production, Oubre Jr. may want to test the waters and see what other options are out there for him.
In what is a potential blow to the Hornets, this year’s free agent class doesn’t project to be a deep one, leaving cap space teams to enter a bidding war for the talent that is available. To preface this, it’s unlikely that Oubre Jr. accepts a mid-level exception offer unless it comes from a genuine contender with the promise of a significant role within the rotation.
Otherwise, we can expect the Louisiana native to pursue opportunities that help him maximize his earning potential in what could be the last big contract of his career. With that being said, here are five teams that are potential threats to steal away the three-level scorer during the offseason.
#5 The Memphis Grizzlies
Dillon Brooks will not be returning to the Memphis Grizzlies roster next season, thus, it’s likely they will be looking to add another wing to their rotation. As a contending team full of young, exciting talent, Kelly Oubre Jr. could be tempted to shun returning to the Charlotte Hornets in favor of teaming up with Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.
However, the Grizzlies don’t project to be a cap space team, so the best they could offer Oubre Jr. is the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception, worth $12.2 million. Still, it’s clear the Grizzlies are capable of making a deep postseason run when healthy, which could be tempting for the Hornets wing.
If Oubre Jr. is willing to take a reduced role on offense (he took 17.1 attempts this season) and has no qualms coming off the bench, he could be an ideal replacement for Brooks. After all, Oubre Jr. is a consummate professional, and right now, the Grizzlies need as many of those as they can get. Nevertheless, there will be other teams out there who can offer Oubre Jr. a larger contract, including the Charlotte Hornets.
#4 The San Antonio Spurs
After landing the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, there’s no doubt that the San Antonio Spurs will be adding Victor Wembanyama to their rotation this summer. Yet, the highly-touted rookie isn’t going to make the Spurs contenders overnight.
However, the quicker San Antonio can give their incoming unicorn some reps in the postseason, the better. As such, it would make sense if the Spurs began to look for some veteran talent to add balance to their young roster. That’s where Oubre Jr. comes in.
Let’s be honest; this would be a disaster for the Charlotte Hornets. First, they miss out on Wembanyama by one draft selection, and then a core part of their rotation bolts to join him in Texas. Still, the Spurs are projected to be a cap space team this summer and could look to offer Oubre Jr. a pay rise while also giving him an opportunity to hit the free-agent market before he turns 30.
A 2+1 deal, with the third year being a player option, makes sense here. Oubre Jr. would keep a big role within the Spurs rotation, San Antonio would add a legitimate scorer and locker-room presence to pair with Wembanyama and Keldon Johnson, and Gregg Popovich (hopefully) can start coaching some meaningful games again, all while still having enough cap space to add another new face or two.
#3 The Oklahoma City Thunder
According to Spotrac, the Oklahoma City Thunder could enter this offseason with $36 million in practical cap space. Given the Thunder’s need for a scoring wing to compliment Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and their litany of floor-spacing bigs, Kelly Oubre Jr. could be a prime free-agent target for them.
Unlike the Spurs, the Thunder have had their young core in place, and their player development has been paying dividends. Now, heading into a season where Chet Holmgren will enter the rotation after missing his rookie year due to injury, the Thunder could be tempted to bring in a veteran scorer to improve their chances of breaking into postseason contention.
Given the Thunder’s struggles throughout their rebuild, there has been talk of potentially losing Gilgeous-Alexander in the near future. It makes sense, then, that adding a legitimate wing scorer such as Oubre Jr. to help boost the Thunder’s offense could go some way to making them more competitive and proving to their star player that the future continues to look bright.
#2 The Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic boasts the current Rookie of the Year, a genuine stud in Franz Wagner, and a genuine point guard of the future in Jalen Suggs. Add the talent of Jonathan Isaac, Wendell Carter Jr., and Markelle Fultz to that equation, and the future looks bright in Disney World.
However, one thing the Orlando Magic could use more of is bench scoring. If the Magic’s front office and coaching staff could sell Oubre Jr. on a potential bench role, then he would be a perfect addition to their ever-improving roster.
Like it or loathe it, the Magic are further along in their rebuild than the Charlotte Hornets, and could potentially gatecrash the playoffs next year, be it via the play-in tournament. Perhaps an opportunity to be a key role player on a team that stands to continue improving over the next few years would be a big sell to Oubre Jr. After all, the Hornets wing has only been to the playoffs twice in his career, with his last taste of the postseason coming in 2018.
Furthermore, the Magic project to have legitimate cap space this summer, meaning they could price the Charlotte Hornets out of negotiations if they believe Oubre Jr. is a player that can help get them playing at (or close to) another level.
#1 The Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets recently signed Ime Udoka as their next head coach. As such, it’s logical to expect the Western Conference outfit to begin expediting their rebuild in the hopes of returning to the playoffs and making some noise in the coming years.
While Kelly Oubre. Jr isn’t going to be a legitimate needle mover for Houston; he would undoubtedly improve their wing scoring while also having all the physical tools to be a potential threat on the defensive end.
After taking the Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals in 2022, Udoka will be coming into Houston looking to improve their current core and get the team back toward the top of the standings in the West. Furthermore, most of Houston’s big-time moves will likely come via the trade market, but stealing Oubre Jr. away from the Hornets would likely prove to be sneaky good business.
Finally, just like most of the other teams mentioned here, the Rockets project to be a cap space team and could potentially give Oubre Jr. a pay rise, thus rewarding him for an impressive 2022-23 season with the Hornets.