Getty Matisse Thybulle #22 and Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Given how cash-strapped the Philadelphia 76ers are after multiple summer deals, GM Daryl Morey is going to have his work cut out for him in order to continue retooling the lineup. As it stands, the Sixers are “hard-capped” after using its bi-annual exception on Danuel House, Jr., leaving Philadelphia with just over $5.5 million to wheel and deal with.
That means, perhaps more than ever, it will be necessary for Philadelphia to match salaries in any potential trade. So yes, while it might be nice to go star hunting at the deadline (a la James Harden last February) unless teams are willing to take back Tobias Harris, it’s probably not happening. That said, there are still plenty of ways that Philadelphia can improve on the margins.
According to Adam Aaronson of The Rights to Ricky Sanchez, one of those ways involves flipping Matisse Thybulle and Furkan Korkmaz for Charlotte Hornets wing Kelly Oubre, Jr., who is making roughly $12 million per year on a two-year deal.
“The first guy who jumps out is Kelly Oubre Jr. of the Charlotte Hornets. A long wing with massive three-point volume, he seems like Daryl Morey’s type. Charlotte has had the year from hell so far, sitting at just 6-14. Should they decide to move expiring veterans like Oubre Jr., I’d imagine the Sixers will have interest.”
Does Oubre Make the Sixers Better?
Aaronson highlighted two factors that stand in Oubre’s favor: length and volume. Oubre is a long defender, sporting a steals rate that ranks in the 91st percentile of wings. That’s slightly down from Thybulle’s league-leading steals rate, though.
Then there’s his volume. His 7.3 attempts from three per game are 21st in the league. Unfortunately, his 31 percent make rate from deep leaves quite a bit to be desired. It’s worth wondering how seriously defenses will take Oubre’s three-point shooting, especially come playoff time. That’s been a key problem with Thybulle in the past; his defense is otherworldly, but he leaves Philadelphia playing four-on-five on offense.
There’s an interesting case to be made that Oubre could benefit from a better infrastructure in Philadelphia. Tyrese Maxey likely commands the attention of the opposing team’s best perimeter defender. Further, playing alongside an elite playmaker in James Harden could boost Oubre’s shooting the same way it did for Maxey at the start of the season.
The caveat to that point: Oubre is playing with LaMelo Ball, a strong playmaker in his own right. Is he on Harden’s level? No — but then again, few players are.
Analyzing Oubre’s Playoff History
But let’s be clear about one thing: any trade Philadelphia makes at the deadline is geared toward the singular purpose of winning the Finals. Oubre is far from a seasoned playoff veteran.
The former Kansas Jayhawk has been to the playoffs just twice since coming into the league in 2015. And much like the current iteration of the Philadelphia 76ers, Oubre has yet to advance past the Eastern Conference semi-finals in either playoff run.
Kelly Oubre tonight:
28 PTS
6 REB
3 STL
48 FG%
He’s averaging a career-high 19 points per game this season
Even worse, in his one trip to the Eastern Conference semis back in 2017, he averaged a measly 6.5 points on 5.2 attempts per game, hardly the poster boy of efficiency. It’s also worth noting that teams Oubre’s played for are generally much better once he leaves town. For instance, Oubre played for the Phoenix Suns in 2019-20, a team that went 34-39. The very next season (post-Oubre trade), the Suns went 51-21 and made the Finals. In his next stop, the Golden State Warriors went 39-33 with Oubre on the roster. After shipping Oubre out in the summer, the Warriors went on to win the Finals the next season.
Since joining the Hornets last season, Charlotte has a record of 55-54. Come playoff time, teams need winning players, something Oubre has yet to prove himself to be.