Former KU basketball standout Kelly Oubre Jr. signs new one-year NBA contract

Former University of Kansas small forward Kelly Oubre Jr. is expected to sign a one-year veteran minimum contract with the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, ESPN.com reported on Monday.

Oubre, a 6-foot-7, 205-pound, 27-year-old New Orleans native, will join reigning league MVP Joel Embiid, another former Jayhawk, with the Sixers.

Oubre, who played for four teams in his first eight years in the league, (including last year with Charlotte), will be paid $2.9 million this season, according to the veteran minimum scale reported by sportskeeda.com.

An ESPN.com report indicates Oubre “could get significant opportunity on the wing with the uncertainty around James Harden, who has requested a trade out of Philadelphia. The Sixers also lost Georges Niang, Jalen McDaniels and Shake Milton in free agency, meaning Oubre has a chance to walk into a lot of minutes, and a really significant scoring role, off the bench.”

Oubre averaged 20.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.4 steals in 48 games for the Charlotte Hornets last season. He averaged 32.3 minutes per game.

Oubre — he played for KU during the 2014-15 season — was the 15th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards.

Led by Embiid, the Sixers were the third seed in the Eastern Conference with a 54-28 record a year ago. Philly swept Brooklyn in the first round of the playoffs before losing to Boston in seven games in Round 2.

“Even if Oubre fails to thrive as a shooter in Philadelphia, he brings a much-needed level of athleticism at the wing not seen since Jimmy Butler,” wrote Zach Ciavolella of phillysportsnetwork.com. “Oubre could either start alongside some combination of De’Anthony Melton, Tobias Harris, and PJ Tucker with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey as the mainstays or play a reserve role as a scoring spark off the bench. What exactly (coach) Nick Nurse has planned for his new wing is yet to be seen.

“According to Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports, the deal is for the veterans minimum, which, while not entirely shocking considering Oubre’s lack of a market, certainly feels like a risk worth taking.”