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The NBA trade deadline came and went on Thursday and Kelly Oubre Jr. is still a member of the Warriors.
And while the 25-year-old wing will remain in the Bay Area for the final two months of the season, his future beyond that is uncertain.
After being traded several times during his young NBA career, Oubre will join unrestricted free agency this summer. This coincides with the hope that Klay Thompson will return to full health at the start of the 2021-22 NBA season.
This complicates Oubre’s situation with the Warriors. He’s an NBA starter, but if he were to re-sign with Golden State, he would eventually have to step off the bench.
“I can’t speak for the future … but at the end of the day I’m growing up, honing my skills in this league and I can offer a lot more than stepping off the bench,” Oubre told reporters at the time. of a conference call following the Warriors’ 141-119 loss to the Kings. “In the end, it’s my life, so I can’t tell the future, only God can.”
Oubre had been at the center of trade rumors for weeks before Thursday’s trade deadline, and the Warriors reportedly had strong offers for him, but decided to retain the former first-round draft pick.
Oubre does not seem to mind trade speculation.
“It comes with the territory,” Oubre said. “It’s a pretty big year, but I’m in a great position right now so overall I’m just happy to be here.”
Coach Steve Kerr has publicly stated that he would like Oubre to sign again this offseason and stick around, but assuming the Warriors don’t lose a paycheck, bringing Oubre back could be very expensive.
Still, Oubre wouldn’t mind staying in the Bay Area for a few years.
“I would love that,” Oubre said. “At the end of the day, it’s a business. We’ve taken a step. The next step is to give everything to this team so that we can achieve our goals this season and this summer is another step. So I’m a little in the moment now. And here I am. I am a warrior. “
RELATED: The Warriors Bet On Themselves With The Oubre Decision
Oubre scored 19 points in 33 minutes Thursday and is averaging over 15 points and just under six rebounds per game this season. His addition didn’t give the Warriors the boost they hoped for when they acquired him from Thompson’s torn Achilles.
But talented, versatile wings like Oubre are hard to come by, so the Warriors would be wise to try and hold him back this summer, even if it costs a lot.
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