5 Reasons the Pacers Signed Kelly Oubre Jr.

While the landscape of the Eastern Conference is seeing major shakeups, the Indiana Pacers elected to add around the edges and lean on continuity as their strength over the rest of the East.

With Tyrese Haliburton healthy and ready to go by the start of the season, plus the additions of Ivica Zubac at the trade deadline and Kelly Oubre Jr. during the NBA's free agency period, Indiana feels like they made enough of a splash to get this team ready for another deep playoff run.

Several fans have heard of the name Kelly Oubre Jr. -- as he has been in the NBA since the 2015 NBA Draft -- but what has made the 11 year veteran such a productive player that he keeps drawing interest of multiple NBA franchises?

Here are five reasons why the Indiana Pacers signed the talented 6-foot-8 wing to their roster:

1. Wing Depth

KOJ MATH — Jan 25, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) shoots the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

After trading away Bennedict Mathurin to the Los Angeles Clippers in a deal to acquire Ivica Zubac, the Pacers were running thin at the wing spot for their current roster. By choosing to let Kobe Brown walk in free agency, and with Johnny Furphy sidelined with an ACL injury, the Pacers entered the offseason with only Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard as depth pieces to their second unit.

This is where Kelly Oubre Jr. comes into play. The talented two-way wing gives Indiana an upgrade on both sides of the ball, and he slides in perfectly into the bench role that was once manned by Mathurin. The two are different players, yes, but Indiana needed someone with legit size that can do a variety of things at a consistent level. They get a player who started for the 76ers last season to now be a key rotation piece off the bench.

2. Defensive Upside

KOJ — Mar 31, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Jordan Nwora (13) drives to the basket as Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) tries to defend during the fourth quarter at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith are the heart-and-soul of the Pacers defense, but they needed some help in this area. While his defense can be shaky at time, it is worth noting that Oubre Jr. received the letter grade of "A" from BBall-Index's Advanced Stats for his perimeter isolation defense the last two seasons. He was in the 93% percentile for 2024-25, and 90% percentile for 2025-26.

In this same graphs shared by Ryan and Brad Knight of The Pacers Post Up Podcast on X, Oubre Jr. received a B+ for his "Off-Ball Chaser Defense", an A- for his "Pickpocket Ranking", and a C+ for his "Passing Lane Defense." However, this graph did describe the worst part of Oubre Jr.'s game. Not only in this season, but the previous one, Oubre Jr. was given an "F" grade in the "Ball Screen Navigation" area.

Again, his defense isn't perfect, but it's an upgrade over what the Pacers had on their bench.

3. Three-Point Shooting (From The Corner)

KOJ — May 6, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) takes a three point shot against the New York Knicks during game five of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last season, Oubre Jr. shot a career-high 36% from the three-point line. That is around the league average, so it's nothing to write home about, but for Oubre Jr., it's a sign that he's capable of shooting better from long range.

What really stood out to me was how well Oubre Jr. shot from the corner three spot specifically. Oubre Jr. connected on 46.3% of his corner threes, marking a career-high from that location on the floor, but it was the second time in his career that he's shot over 40% from there.

While the three-point shot for Oubre Jr. has been streaky, he's clearly capable of having a bigger impact from distance in the right system. Indiana has one of the best shooting coaches in the league in coach Jenny Boucek, who has helped multiple Pacers improve their form, confidence, and percentage. If Oubre Jr. starts to struggle next season, a visit with the "shot doctor" could help him improve that career-best 36% and become even better.

4. One-on-One Scoring

KOJ — Jan 18, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) dribbles the ball while Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

While we talked about needing someone to replace the lack of wing depth in Bennedict Mathurin at No. 1, we didn't go over the details of a scoring upgrade from Ben Sheppard and Jarace Walker. According to BBall Index's "One on One" Grades, Oubre Jr. had a solid season last year for the 76ers in several different categories.

As the 5th option in the 76ers starting lineup last season, Oubre Jr. still managed to score 14 points on 12.4 attempts per game, which is the lowest amount of attempts since his second season in the league.

One on One Data — Screenshot from BBall Index | Bball-Index.com

The only glaring hole for Oubre Jr. in this graph is his shot quality for the midrange, but that's an area the Pacers don't usually utilize with their analytically driven style of play. Indiana preaches "paint to great", as they encourage their scorers and ball handlers to get inside the paint and then either make the easy two, or spray it out to the perimeter for open three-point shots.

As someone the Pacers will rely on for scoring, it is worth noting that Oubre Jr. added a successful floater to his game last season, landing the highest letter grade of an "A" in the One on One department.

Oubre is a shot creator, but only for himself. He has a low assist number throughout his career (1.2), but similar to Mathurin, while you can ask a talented scorer to become a better passer, lean into what they're good at and go from there.

5. Off-Ball Cutting

KOJ — May 8, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) dunks the ball against the New York Knicks during the third quarter of game three of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One of the best traits about Oubre Jr. is his ability to read a defense and cut to the open spots. Tyrese Haliburton is one of the best passers in the NBA and I guarantee the two will work well together in this area. However, Haliburton isn't the only skilled passer on this team. Ivica Zubac (who Kelly Oubre threw a nasty dunk on when he played for Phoenix) is also a terrific passer for a big man, who will love passing to the terrific cutter.

Rick Carlisle always preaches that players need to play with force, and Oubre Jr. embodies that with his physicality. He loves to tear the rim apart on his dunks and put opponents on posters. Oubre Jr. has a wingspan that is slightly over 7-foot-2, and that length allows for him to finish over and through defenders.

Final Thoughts

Indiana had a limited amount of spending money with their current cap situation, but they went deep into the luxury tax to bring a much-needed wing to the roster. The Pacers were in dire need of a player with size and two-way abilities, and that is exactly who Oubre Jr. is; a "jack of all trades, and a master of none".

You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.

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