Getty Andre Iguodala, wayward Warrior
No doubt, things have gotten better for Warriors wing Kelly Oubre lately. After a terrible start that had Golden State fans almost immediately calling for him to be traded, Oubre has finally found a groove, hitting double-figures in scoring for seven straight games, and notching a double-double in the team’s last two outings.
He has averaged 19.6 points and 6.3 rebounds in his last seven games, shooting 49.0% from the field and 46.7% from the 3-point line.
“He’s obviously a very talented player,” coach Steve Kerr said this week. “There’s been probably too much of a story about Kelly just because of the slow start that he got off to. This is who he is. There is a reason he’s the player that he is in this league, he’s proven it over the years. Very talented guy and he is proving it for us lately.”
Yet there is still a sense around the Warriors that Oubre should be shopped and, if a better fit emerges, dealt ahead of the March 25 trade deadline. Putting Oubre on the block now, while he is playing well, puts the Warriors in a position to sell high.
Potential Oubre Trades Bring Back Iguodala, Fournier
With that in mind, we had a look at some Oubre-related trade proposals put out last week by Warriors beat writer Dieter Kurtenbach of the San Jose Mercury News.
Deal 1: Oubre and a 2023 first-round draft pick to New Orleans for Lonzo Ball and Nicolo Melli.
This is a trade that would bring Oubre back to his hometown, a place he left after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The Pelicans are said to have an interest in Oubre, who is only 25 and could make a nice complement to Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.
The Warriors would get much-needed depth at the point guard spot with Ball, though his lack of shooting makes him an odd fit in Golden State. Melli is a capable stretch-4 who is not playing much for the Pelicans.
Fan Favorite Comes Back
Deal 2: Oubre to Miami for Andre Iguodala and a future first-round pick.
Iguodala never really wanted to leave the Warriors back in 2019, and considered retiring when it happened. Coincidentally, it was the trade exception that the team got by trading him that allowed the Dubs to bring in Oubre from the Thunder this offseason.
Andre Iguodala on his summer trade from the Warriors: “I had a Romo moment. I think I sniffed it out.”
Iguodala is having a very Iguodala year in Miami (4.4 points, 3.9 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 32.5% 3-point shooting) but as Kurtenbach put it, it’s not the numbers that matter: “Iguodala doesn’t fix the Warriors’ shooting woes — no sir, he’s still a liability on that end — but if Golden State is looking to improve its basketball IQ, Iguodala is the man to do it.”
Capable Veteran Brings Added Shooting
Deal 3: Oubre and a second-round pick to Orlando for Evan Fournier.
This is the deal that likely makes the most sense for the Warriors—and for the team on the other end, the Magic. Orlando has been wracked by injuries this season and could look to sell off upcoming free agents like Fournier.
Fournier has missed his last three games with a back issue, but when healthy he is a solid scorer and above-average shooter—he has made only 35.2% of his 3-pointers this season but has made 37.5% in his career. For a rebuilding bunch like Orlando, taking on Oubre and possibly signing him to a reasonable contract after the season makes some sense.
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