The NBA trade deadline came and went Thursday, and Kelly Oubre Jr. still is a member of the Warriors.
And while the 25-year-old wing will remain in the Bay Area for the final two months of the season, his future beyond that is uncertain.
After being traded numerous times in his young NBA career, Oubre will hit unrestricted free agency this summer. That coincides with the expectation that Klay Thompson will return fully healthy at the beginning of the 2021-22 NBA season.
That makes Oubre’s situation with the Warriors complicated. He’s a starter in the NBA, but if he were to re-sign with Golden State, he likely would eventually have to come off the bench.
“I can’t speak for the future … but at the end of the day, I’m growing, I’m honing in on my skills in this league and I can offer a lot more than coming off the bench,” Oubre told reporters on a video conference call after the Warriors’ 141-119 loss to the Kings. “At the end of the day, this is my life, so I can’t tell the future, only God can.”
Oubre had been at the center of trades rumors for weeks leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline, and the Warriors reportedly had strong offers for him, but decided to hold on to the former first-round draft pick.
The trade speculation didn’t seem to bother Oubre.
“It comes with the territory,” Oubre said. “This is a pretty important year, but I’m in a great situation right now, so all in all, I’m just happy to be here.”
Coach Steve Kerr has stated publicly that he would like Oubre to re-sign this offseason and stick around, but assuming the Warriors don’t shed salary, bringing Oubre back could be very costly.
Still, Oubre wouldn’t mind staying put in the Bay Area for a few years.
“I would love that,” Oubre said. “At the end of the day, this is a business. We got through one step. Next step is giving my all to this team so we can reach our goals this season and this summer is another step. So I’m kinda in the moment right now. And I’m here. I’m a Warrior.”
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Oubre scored 19 points in 33 minutes Thursday, and is averaging over 15 points and just under six rebounds per game this season. His addition hasn’t given the Warriors the boost they had hoped for when they acquired him in the wake of Thompson’s torn Achilles.
But talented, versatile wings like Oubre are hard to come by, so the Warriors would be wise to try to retain him this summer, even if it’s costly.
