July 01, 2026
Colleen Claggett/For PhillyVoice
Kelly Oubre Jr. has given the Sixers more value over the last three years than they ever could have expected when they brought him to Philadelphia.
Kelly Oubre Jr. is departing the Sixers to sign a two-year contract worth nearly $17 million with the Indiana Pacers, according to a report from Shams Charania of ESPN.
Oubre, who will turn 31 years old in December, originally joined the Sixers on a one-year veteran's minimum contract right before training camp in 2023. He proved to be an extremely valuable two-way contributor on the wing, which the following offseason earned him a two-year deal worth just over $16 million.
In three seasons with the Sixers, Oubre averaged 32.1 minutes, 14.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals across 178 games (150 starts). He became a considerably better supporting player; Oubre grew less focused on his on-ball scoring in recent years and honed in on more traditional role-playing skills. He became less turnover-prone, mastered the art of cutting and improved his defensive versatility.
Oubre is coming off the best shooting season of his NBA career. The veteran swingman shot 36.0 percent from long range on 4.8 three-point tries per game. Oubre has always shot threes at high volume, but has never been particularly accurate. That changed during the 2025-26 regular season before a brutal slump ensued in the playoffs.
Perhaps, as they deliberated over whether or not to retain Oubre, the Sixers heavily weighed the fact that the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks were not remotely fearful of him spotting up on the perimeter.
Oubre has always been a flawed player, but he has been a useful player. On Sixers teams that often looked lifeless during dark times, his intensity never wavered. But he is moving on, and the Sixers will lose a player responsible for filling over 5,700 minutes on the wing over the last three years. The signing of Dean Wade to a four-year deal worth nearly $39 million will help, but the Sixers still have work to do to improve their depth.
