Report: Warriors ‘shopping' Oubre for trade before deadline

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Kelly Oubre Jr. wants to stay with the Warriors beyond this week’s NBA trade deadline, but he reportedly might not get the chance. 

Golden State is “shopping” Oubre, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor reported Sunday, citing the 25-year-old wing's pending unrestricted free agency. 

The Warriors traded for Oubre in November, sending a $17.2 million traded player exception and a top-20 protected first-round pick in 2021 to the Oklahoma City Thunder just days after Klay Thompson sustained a season-ending torn Achilles. 

Oubre slowly found his footing with the Warriors, enduring an historically slow shooting start. Since the start of February, Oubre has appeared far more comfortable, averaging 17.6 points (on 48.3 percent shooting from the field and 36.9 percent from beyond the arc) and 6.0 rebounds per game. 

Warriors coach Steve Kerr denied a report in January that Golden State had discussed trading Oubre to the New Orleans Pelicans, telling reporters at the time that a coach called the Warriors to ask about him. Kerr said no offer -- formal or otherwise -- was made. 

Entering Sunday with the Western Conference’s ninth-best record (22-21), the Warriors are, as of this writing, 3.5 games back of the sixth-seeded Denver Nuggets. The sixth seed won’t have to play in the NBA’s play-in tournament.

Oubre’s making $14.375 million this season, according to Spotrac, in the final year of a two-year contract he signed with the Phoenix Suns ahead of the 2019-20 season. He can become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and reportedly could command $20 million annually

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Warriors president of basketball operations and general manager Bob Myers told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Grant Liffmann and Dorell Wright earlier this month that he views Oubre as part of the Warriors’ long-term future. Golden State would be able to re-sign Oubre using his Bird Rights, but the Warriors would once again have to pay a hefty luxury tax bill. 

They were willing to pay it without Thompson on the roster this season. Whether or not they are once the five-time All-Star returns could determine if Oubre remains a Warrior after 12 p.m. PT on Thursday. 

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