Los Angeles Lakers: 4 free agents to sign away from other contenders
By Jason Reed
1. Kelly Oubre Jr.
Kelly Oubre Jr. could be an MLE target for the Los Angeles Lakers. It is hard to see Oubre getting anything more than that but it would not be all that surprising if that is what his market value is this offseason.
Oubre is someone who has scoring potential that did not piece it all together in Golden State. While that can be a red flag, Oubre just did not fit in perfectly and was unable to keep up with all of the off-ball stuff that the Warriors have utilized over the years.
That being said, Oubre was still a solid scorer. It is not like he was terrible by any stretch of the imagination, he just did not take that big leap that some people may have expected when he found himself in Steve Kerr’s offense.
Oubre averaged 15.4 points per game in 30.7 minutes per game last season. He shot 43.9% from the floor, 31.6% from three and 69.5% from the free-throw line. Those certainly are not great numbers but he has proven earlier in his career that he can score at a more efficient rate.
His effective field goal percentage the year before was 16 points higher. It was a down year for Oubre but at only 25 years old there is a lot of potential there.
Oubre definitely should not be the Lakers’ first option to sign with the MLE but he would not be a bad backup option. Even better, it would be a loss for the Golden State Warriors, who are going to be one of the six best teams in the league next season.