Kelly Oubre is one of the better young Small Forwards in the league for the Golden State Warriors. He obviously thinks so, too, as he and his team believe that he can obtain a multi-year contract at $20 million annually. Oubre averaged 15.4 points, six rebounds, and 1.4 assists for the Warriors this year. While he’s a good young player, it will be interesting to see if his productivity warrants the contract he desires.
Players on Similar Contracts
One way to see if Oubre deserves this contract is to identify players making similar money. However, this isn’t a perfect exercise, as some players exceed or don’t live up to their contract’s expectations. One player making close to Oubre’s desired $20 million annual contract is Zach Lavine, who’s getting $19.5 million. The 25-year-old shooting guard averaged 27.4 points, five rebounds, and five assists for the Bulls en route to his first NBA All-Star selection.
Another player on a similar contract is Gary Harris, who was recently acquired by the Orlando Magic this season. Harris signed a 4-year/$84 million contract with the Nuggets in 2018. He is making an average of $21 million a year throughout his contract. Harris averaged just 10 points, two rebounds, and two assists in a season limited by injury and adjusting to his new team.
Harrison Barnes is also on a similar contract to those previously mentioned. He signed a 4-year/ $85 million descending contract with the Kings in the 2019 offseason. The former NBA Champion averaged 16.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists a game for the Sacramento Kings. He also played the fourth-most minutes per game this season.
Players with Similar Productivity
Another way to determine a justified contract for Oubre is to identify players with a similar on-court output. Again, this isn’t perfect, as some players outperform their contract or leave their team wanting more. One player that produces similarly to Oubre is Memphis’s, Dillon Brooks. Like Oubre, Brooks is a 25-year-old small forward. He averaged around 17 points, three rebounds, and two assists for the Grizzlies. In February 2020, Brooks signed a 3-year/$35 million contract with Memphis. This averages to $11.67 million annually for Brooks, which is well off the contract Oubre wants.
Secondly, Kyle Kuzma also shares similarities with Oubre. Another 25-year-old forward, Kuzma, averaged 13 points, six rebounds, and two assists for the Los Angeles Lakers. In late 2020, Kyle Kuzma signed a 3-year/$40 Million contract with LA, averaging $13 Million a year. Despite slightly lower production and a different role on the Lakers, $13 million annually is a lot less than Oubre’s desired $20 million.
Lastly, another player with close production to Oubre is Joe Harris in Brooklyn. The 29-year-old forward put out roughly 14 points, four boards, and two dimes on the season for the stacked Brooklyn Nets. In 2020, Brooklyn signed Harris to an upscaling 4-year/$72 million contract. Averaging out to $18 million yearly, this is close but not quite the contract that Oubre hopes to sign.
Given the players with similar attributes to Oubre and those on similar contracts to $20 million/year he believes he can obtain, do you think Kelly Oubre will get the contract he wants?
