NBA Rumors: Warriors & Pelicans Reportedly ‘Discussed A Potential Deal’ Involving Kelly Oubre Jr.

According to a new report, the New Orleans Pelicans are planning to make some changes prior to the March 25 deadline, and one of them might involve acquiring small forward Kelly Oubre Jr. from the Golden State Warriors.

As quoted by Bleacher Report on Tuesday, Shams Charania of subscriber-only publication The Athletic wrote this week that the Warriors and Pelicans have “discussed a potential deal” that could send Oubre to New Orleans. While there hasn’t been any “traction” in these talks as of yet, free agents who joined a new team in the 2020 offseason will become eligible to be traded on February 6, which means multiple players could become available to be traded in the weeks leading up to the deadline.

A former Kansas Jayhawks star who was picked 15th overall in the 2015 draft, Oubre previously played for the Washington Wizards and the Suns, where he averaged a career-best 18.7 points and 6.4 rebounds in 2019-20. He was then traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in November in the deal that sent Chris Paul to the Suns before another transaction brought him to Golden State. He has, however, started out slowly for the Warriors, averaging just 11.6 points and 5.5 rebounds and shooting a paltry 35.5 percent from the field.

If both teams are able to work out a deal, Oubre could provide some valuable experience and athleticism to the Pelicans — a club with a solid young core led by forwards Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. He might, however, turn out to be a rental for New Orleans, as he is currently on the final year of a contract that will pay him $14.4 million this season.

As further reported by Charania, the Pelicans could be making a few other personnel changes as they continue to struggle in the Western Conference despite the presence of Williamson and Ingram. With the team currently second-to-last in the West with a 5-10 record, officials have reportedly entertained queries about two of their key backcourt players — Lonzo Ball and JJ Redick — and are open to trading them if the opportunity arises.

Although it’s not clear who the Pelicans might have to give up in order to acquire Oubre, the 25-year-old forward is just one of multiple players the team could target before March 25. As reported by The Inquisitr, a recent trade idea suggested that the club could make a move for Houston Rockets guard Victor Oladipo, who they could theoretically acquire for a package featuring Ball, Redick, and a future first-round selection.