With the 2024-25 Sixers season officially in the rearview mirror, the time has come to evaluate the few highs and many lows of a disastrous campaign in which the team only managed 24 wins. We will do so in "Sixers year-in-review," a series assessing each individual Sixers player's performance this year based on numbers, film and quotes, while also looking ahead to the future.
Up next: Kelly Oubre Jr.
After a strong season on a veteran's minimum contract in 2023-24, Oubre returned to the Sixers on a two-year deal with a player option in hopes of establishing himself as a starting-caliber player on a team contending to win the championship.
Unfortunately for Oubre, he never got that chance, as the Sixers' season went off the rails almost immediately despite him showing some genuine growth in his 10th NBA campaign. How did Oubre make strides in a brutal team context, and what is next for the 29-year-old?
SIXERS YEAR-IN-REVIEW
Joel Embiid | Guerschon Yabusele | Paul George | Jared McCain | Tyrese Maxey | Andre Drummond | Quentin Grimes | Jared Butler | Kyle Lowry
What we learned in 2024-25
Oubre can be a more reliable decision-maker on a consistent basis.
Different things are important to different players, and being part of the starting five is extremely meaningful to Oubre. So, he was alarmed by an early season benching. However, head coach Nick Nurse presented Oubre with a plan that could help mollify perhaps his weakest biggest weakness: decision-making. Oubre's aggressive nature can help him in some capacities, but over the years it has also led to bad shots, silly turnovers and other unforced errors.
Nurse’s plan: instead of leaping off one foot as a driver — which enabled Oubre to get around the basket frequently but often led to him losing control of the ball or his body — Oubre should play off two feet more often.
The statistical results were eye-opening, and they jived with the eye test. Oubre’s efficiency skyrocketed and his turnovers went down when he adopted this approach, quickly earning him his spot in the starting lineup back. The sample became pretty significant by the time a knee sprain (and the Sixers’ tanking effort) ended Oubre’s season.
Will Oubre make mistakes at times when other players wouldn’t? Sure. But he does not need to be the most cerebral player on the floor; Oubre’s aggression and confidence is part of what fuels his standout skills. Being a bit more reliable as a decision-maker, though, would go a long way for someone who many have doubted could seriously convicted to high-level winning.
Number to know
Kelly Oubre Jr.'s three-point percentage in two seasons with the Sixers: 30.3 percent.
Oubre is never going to be an above-average three-point shooter or anything close to it based on efficiency marks, though he did imply at his exit interview earlier this month that he thinks better results will come after he tends to a hand injury which has plagued him dating back to the 2022-23 season, his last before arriving in Philadelphia.
However, Oubre does still provide value to any offense as far as floor spacing is concerned because he is an extremely willing spot-up shooter from beyond the arc. For role players like Oubre, three-point volume is typically at least as important as three-point efficiency — at least as long as the efficiency is not so bad that it is disqualifying. Oubre has been close to that line in the past but has remained someone defenses treat respectfully.
If Oubre indeed becomes more reliable from three-point range as a result of the treatment he said he was seeking for his hand this summer, his value will go through the roof. It is certainly a believe it when you see it sort of thing, though.
MORE: How a benching and talks with Nick Nurse unlocked Oubre
Important film
Nurse talks constantly about the importance of his guards and wings helping out on the glass. Rebounding is a team effort, no matter how big or strong a team’s frontcourt players are.
At 6-foot-8 with terrific athleticism and an even better 7-foot-3 wingspan, Oubre has always had the tools to lead the charge as far as perimeter-oriented players making an impact on the boards. But over the last three seasons, it was not clicking much.
But Oubre took that challenge on in the second half of his second season with the Sixers, and it stemmed from a predictable motivation: wanting the ball.
Kelly Oubre Jr. on December 12, 2024 about his renewed focus on becoming a force on the glass:
"I want the ball, man. Any way I can get the ball…" pic.twitter.com/7pVB69wFu1— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) February 11, 2025
If Oubre sticks around, Nurse will continue to rely on him to help keep the Sixers afloat in the rebounding margin. Oubre flashed excellence there not just on the defensive glass but also as someone capable of reviving possessions as an offensive rebounder.
MORE: Sixers GM Elton Brand 'among candidates' to run Atlanta Hawks
Salient soundbite
Oubre in his exit interview on April 13 when asked about his upcoming player option decision:
"I am a Philadelphia 76er. I'm blessed to be a part of this organization. I'm here in front of you guys right now, so taking it day by day. But also, this is a business, but at the end of the day I'm happy. And I feel like I like to finish what I start, and I don't feel complete, so Godspeed."
Question heading into the future
How much does Oubre's subpar three-point shooting accuracy impact the Sixers’ evaluation of his overall worth moving forward?
If the Sixers believe a rotation that currently does not project to have any non-shooters on the perimeter can easily stomach providing a higher-volume, lower-efficiency marksman like Oubre with a major role, then the answer will be not much at all.
But even though Oubre’s energy and willingness to evolve last season were commendable — and, beyond that, his on-court performance was largely satisfactory or better — it is fair to wonder just how much a star-laden team can trust a shaky spot-up shooter.
The major importance of this question is caused by the state of the Sixers’ salary cap sheet. The Sixers retaining Oubre should require them to pay his market value after two years of not doing so. The fact that they will owe a massive portion of the salary cap to the trio of Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey means any substantial salary commitment — even if not near the level of those players — must be calculated.
Contract information
Oubre must decide on his player option for 2025-26 worth $8,382,150 by June 29. If he declines the option, Oubre would become an unrestricted free agent; if he picks up the option he would be eligible to be traded at any point.
MORE: Free agents Sixers could monitor in upcoming offseason
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