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Former Warriors SF Kelly Oubre Jr., Hornets Agree to 2-Year, $25M Contract
The Charlotte Hornets have reached an agreement on a two-year, $25 million deal with forward Kelly Oubre Jr.
Oubre was coming off a career-best season with the Phoenix Suns when he was traded to the Golden State Warriors in November. He averaged 18.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.9 threes and 1.5 assists across 56 appearances for Phoenix during the 2019-20 season.
The 25-year-old New Orleans native was then dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of the Chris Paul blockbuster before being flipped to the Dubs less than a week later.
His production dropped in Golden State with more offensive talent around him, led by Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins.
Oubre averaged 15.4 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting just 31.6 percent from three-point range in 55 games with the Warriors.
While his overall numbers were expected to decline on a team in which he was the third or fourth scoring option many nights, the dip in efficiency was more of a concern. That's the first thing he'll work to rectify heading into next season.
Originally a first-round pick out of Kansas by the Atlanta Hawks in 2015, he was sent to the Washington Wizards in a draft-night trade. He was then dealt to the Suns in December 2018.
Oubre is a strong bounce-back candidate as he heads to the Hornets. His career had been on a steady upward trajectory throughout his time in Washington and Phoenix, but he just didn't emerge as a perfect fit in Golden State, and that led to a short tenure.
The high-flying forward should slot in as a key contributor on the wing and capitalize on LaMelo Ball's ability to set up his teammates for success.