The NBA trade deadline is coming up (March 25), which means the rumors are hot and the Warriors’ aggression will be even hotter. General manager Bob Myers recently said the team will be more “open in making calls and listening to calls that we’ve been [in the past]”
One of the main names that has come up is Kelly Oubre Jr. The 25-year-old Warriors wing will become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and his spike in production around the All-Star break has made some teams interested.
When he becomes a free agent, it’s possible he could “warrant contracts in free agency worth north of $20 million annually,” a league source tells the San Francisco Chronicle’s Connor Letourneau.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
In February alone, Oubre averaged 20.1 points per game in 15 games. That production, plus his expiring contract, is why he’s on team’s radars.
Still, Oubre made it clear in an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area's Kerith Burke that he wants to stay with the Warriors past the trade deadline, and Burke said she felt he was genuine in saying that.
Burke noted Oubre would be a great sixth man for the Warriors teaming up with Klay Thompson upon his scheduled return next season. Myers also told NBC Sports Bay Area a few weeks ago that the Warriors would like to keep Oubre beyond this season.
But given Letourneau's report that Oubre might cost $20 million annually, the Warriors are wise to listen to offers for him if they feel they will not be able to re-sign him after the season.
Golden State Warriors
RELATED: Oubre admits contract, Dubs' finances led to added pressure
NBC Sports Bay Area’s Grant Liffman offered up a few scenarios where it would make sense for the Warriors to trade Oubre, which the Warriors will surely consider between now and next Thursday's deadline.
The wait continues …