KU basketball’s Kelly Oubre prepared for new role on NBA contender Philadelphia 76ers

Former Kansas wing Kelly Oubre Jr., who according to a published report in The Sun earned $65.7 million during his first eight years in the NBA, in late September signed a one-year, veteran’s minimum free-agent contract with the Philadelphia 76ers worth $2.9 million.

The significant reduction in pay — he made $12.5 million a year over the last two seasons with the Charlotte Hornets — is OK with the 27-year-old Oubre, who figures to either start or play a significant role off the bench for the Joel Embiid-led Sixers, expected to be one of the contenders for the Eastern Conference title in 2023-24.

“It’s something that I think is bigger than me,” Oubre, who played a one-and-done season at KU in 2014-15, said of his opportunity with the Sixers in an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I’ve had to kill my ego over these past couple years and really just find who I am deep down inside. This is what God brought me here to do, and I’m happy to be here.”

He continued.

“I didn’t care about the money,” Oubre added. “I know what I’m worth and I know what I deserve. But if I have to protect my peace and my soul over the money, I’m going to do that any day of the week. … I had to settle in and be like, ‘Listen, I put myself in this position (by signing on Sept. 26, not aggressively pursuing a deal earlier in the summer). I have to do something to go to work next year and to put on a jersey.’’’

Oubre — he averaged a career-best 20.3 points and 5.5 rebounds a game with Charlotte last season — played for Washington, Phoenix, Golden State and Charlotte during his first eight years in the league. He has not been on a playoff team since his second and third years as a pro, 2017 and 2018, with Washington.

“I’ve come from teams where they have no hope, like zero hope within the whole city,” Oubre told the Inquirer. “This is not that at all (in Philly). So I appreciate this fan base for being so hard on the team and wanting to see greatness, because they deserve it and this organization gives the players the platform to do so with everything around us.”

Oubre, a 6-7, 200-pound New Orleans native who has designed his own line of apparel, recently made what seemed like a boastful claim to the Inquirer.

He said: “I don’t see myself fitting in, I see myself standing out.”

He clarified his remarks later telling the Inquirer he “for sure” is OK seeing his offensive production dipping on a contending Sixer team.

“This is a team that has a lot of pieces,” Oubre said. “You have guys who can give 20-30 (points) any given night. I’m one of them and I know that. It will sting not being able to really flourish on both sides of the floor. But, at the end of the day, I know that I can bring a bigger piece of myself to this team and help this team win and go further than me scoring 20 points every game.

“This is not the time for that. Godspeed, if things work out well, I could have a bigger role. But at the end of the day, I’m going to just take what I’m given and excel at that.”

He’s been productive in exhibition games with his new team.

Oubre scored 21 points with four rebounds and four assists while starting and playing 33 minutes in a 127-119 win over Brooklyn on Monday. He came off the bench to score 18 points with three rebounds in a 112-101 loss to Boston on Oct. 11. And in his first game as a Sixer he had six points and four rebounds in 13 minutes of a 114-106 loss again to Boston on Oct. 8.

“Whatever the team needs from me, that’s what I’ll do,” Oubre told the Inquirer. “I really don’t know what I’m going be asked (to do). But at the end of the day, I know who I am and what I’ve been through, and I can do anything that I’m asked.”

SI.com recently proclaimed Oubre “nearly a lock” for the rotation.

“The Sixers didn’t break the bank on Oubre, considering they got him for a veteran’s minimum, but that factor was shocking enough. Sure, Oubre played on a bad team in the Charlotte Hornets and wasn’t super efficient at times, but it’s hard to imagine a guy could go from averaging 20 points one season to being out of a rotation the next,” wrote Justin Grasso of SI.com.

“It would be difficult to justify having Oubre out of the Sixers’ rotation when the regular season begins. ... The veteran wing would have to be abysmal in the next week of practices and games in order to ride the bench when the season begins,” added Grasso.

After Monday’s win over the Nets, coach Nick Nurse told sixerswire.usatoday.com: “ I think he’s going to be that second unit we go to a little bit. I thought he was more solid defensively. He’s making some progress there, so I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary there for him defensively so that’s good.”

Of his performance Oubre said: “I’m still trying to figure it out. Take it day by day. Things are changing constantly and my role has changed and stuff like that, but I try to pride myself on being water and (trying) to go with the flow.”