Could Kelly Oubre Take Tobias Harris' Starting Spot on Sixers?

Tobias Harris could be on his way out. Should that lead the Philadelphia 76ers to bring back Kelly Oubre for another stint?

May 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) plays against the New York Knicks during the second half of game six of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia 76ers have quite the offseason ahead of them as they look to navigate the task of going through the 11 expiring contracts and seeing who they can bring back, as Joel Embiid, Paul Reed, Ricky Council IV, and Jeff Dowtin are the only players to have guaranteed contracts entering next season.

Two key players that they’ll have to look at are Tobias Harris and Kelly Oubre Jr, with the pair slated for free agency at the end of the season. As previously reported, it’s believed that Harris, who spent the previous five and a half seasons in Philadelphia, will not be brought back.

If this proves to be the case, Nick Nurse will have a spot to fill in his starting lineup, which could potentially be filled in by the aforementioned Oubre.

When Oubre penned a one-year contract with Philadelphia during the previous offseason, it was initially seen as a potential steal, given the two-million-dollar hit to the team’s cap space.

For what it’s worth, the then 27-year-old proved to be more than an excellent signing, storming through the first eight games of the season, averaging 16 points on 50 percent shooting, while also managing to be quite the source of boards, securing five rebounds per game.

These numbers wouldn’t drop too much following his return from a stint on the injury report due to a fractured rib, as he would end the season by averaging 15 points per game on 44 percent from the field and 31 from beyond the arch.

While these numbers proved to work in the Sixers’ favor during the season, they may come back to bite them in the offseason as Oubre could look for a big payday, but if Harris doesn’t come back, there’s a discussion to be had for giving the 28-year-old what he deserves.

Taking a glance at how the two did last season, Harris manages to come out on top in all of the offensive categories, granted it’s marginal in most cases. Given the age difference between the two and the rather streaky nature of the 31-year-old’s performances, it wouldn’t be the worst thing to give Oubre, who has proven to be rather consistent, a fair chance in the City of Brotherly Love.

Earlier on in the offseason, when asked about the upcoming free agency window, Oubre wasn’t exactly opposed to making a return, citing the affection he’s had here as a motivating factor.

“I just wanna be loved,” Oubre said, “At the end of the day, I wanna go to somewhere where they respect and love me, it’s been nothing but love here.”