The NBA trade deadline came and went Thursday, and Kelly Oubre Jr. is still a member of the Warriors.
And while the 25-year-old wing will remain in the Bay Area for the last two months of the season, his future beyond that is uncertain.
After being traded several times in his fledgling NBA career, Oubre will hit unlimited free agency this summer. That coincides with the expectation that Klay Thompson will return to full health at the start of the NBA 2021-22 season.
That complicates Oubre’s situation with the Warriors. He’s a starter in the NBA, but if he were to sign with Golden State again, he would likely have to get off the bench eventually.
“I can’t speak for the future … but at the end of the day, I’m growing, improving my skills in this competition and being able to offer a lot more than just coming from the bank,” Oubre told reporters during a video conference call after the event. loss of Warriors 141-119 to the Kings. “Ultimately, this is my life, so I can’t predict the future, only God can.”
Oubre had been at the center of trade rumors for weeks leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline, and the Warriors reportedly had strong bids for him, but decided to stick with the former first round.
Trade speculation did not seem to bother Oubre.
“It’s part of the territory,” said Oubre. “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 publicly stated that he would like Oubre to re-sign this off-season and stick around, but assuming the Warriors don’t lose paychecks, bringing Oubre back could be very expensive.
Still, Oubre wouldn’t mind staying in the Bay Area for a few years.
“I’d love that,” said Oubre. “Ultimately, this is a company. We’ve gone through one step. The next step is to give everything to this team so that we can achieve our goals this season and this summer is another step. I’m here. I’m a warrior. “
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Oubre scored 19 points in 33 minutes on Thursday and has averaged more than 15 points and just under six rebounds per game this season. His addition hasn’t given the Warriors the boost they’d 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 keep it this summer, even if it’s expensive.
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