Joining the Pacers was a 'No-Brainer' for Kelly Oubre Jr.

The Indiana Pacers are ready to put last season behind them and recapture the magic that led them to Game 7 of the NBA Finals in 2025.

With most of their core intact, the Pacers didn’t need to make a splashy move this offseason. They did, however, want to bolster their bench and add more depth on the wing.

That led them to Kelly Oubre Jr.

The 6-foot-8 veteran brings experience, versatility and another two-way presence to Indiana after spending the last three seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers.

For the first time since signing with the Pacers, Oubre opened up about his decision to join the blue and gold during an appearance on the HoopsHype podcast with Cyro Asseo.

“For me, I have a lot left to give,” Oubre said. “My brand (of basketball) that I would choose to play would be the Pacers style. Fast-paced, little flare, and they have a great system in place, a great coach in coach Carlisle and they checked all the boxes for me with what I was looking for.”

Oubre spoke fondly of his time in Philadelphia, but after three seasons with the 76ers, he was ready for something different.

“Philly was amazing,” Oubre said. “I loved my time there, and obviously there’s no shade, but it was a slower pace. I’m a wing, I like to run, I like to play in transition and Hali is like the best at that.”

If there was one factor that helped separate Indiana from Oubre's other options, it was Tyrese Haliburton.

The two already had an established relationship before becoming teammates, making Indiana an even more attractive destination.

KOJ Hali — Dec 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) controls the ball against Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

“We have a great partnership and a great friendship already off the court from working out with Drew (Hanlen),” Oubre said. “Having the same agents, this was a no-brainer for me. Just to be able to play with that fast paced team and get them back to the promise land.”

Playing alongside Haliburton in a system predicated on pace and ball movement was a major selling point for Oubre.

“He’s the head of the snake over here,” Oubre said. “To have a head of the snake with their head on their shoulders is very rare. That played a big factor in it. He’s very mature, well beyond his years. He’s very experienced now and he has some battle scars to show for it.”

But Oubre also understands that Haliburton is returning after missing the entire 2025-26 season while recovering from a torn Achilles. As excited as he is to share the floor with Indiana's star point guard, Oubre isn't expecting everything to immediately return to normal.

“Obviously I’m not expecting him to come back and just be his hundred-percent self,” Oubre said. “But I’m happy to be on his side to help him kind of get there and just give my insights on the game to him as well.”

That willingness to help extends beyond Haliburton.

KOJ — Apr 21, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) reacts after making a three-point basket against the Boston Celtics in the second half of a game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After 11 seasons in the NBA, Oubre understands he is joining an established Pacers team that already has its core pieces in place. His experience in Philadelphia helped prepare him to embrace whatever role Indiana asks him to play.

While his three seasons with the 76ers didn't produce the postseason success he hoped for, Oubre believe they taught him something equally valuable: resilience.

“To the core of me, they built a lot of resilience,” Oubre said. “It built a lot of confidence within myself. Knowing that I could be asked to do one thing, but I could also show you all I’m here to do whatever you ask me to do.”

Oubre arrived in Philadelphia in 2023 on a veteran minimum contract during a difficult period in his life and career.

“I kind of fell into their lap, cause I was going through a lot in my life,” Oubre said. “I signed that vet-min deal to go there, which I was grateful to Daryl (Morey) and (Nick) Nurse for calling me non-stop when I was really ready to give up. It just built a new-found confidence in me that I could battle through adversity. I cannot know what tomorrow is going to look like and still go and bring myself and let everything play out. It showed me a lot I didn’t know about myself at a younger age.”

Three years later, Oubre arrives in Indiana at a much different point in his career.

koj — Apr 30, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. before action against the Boston Celtics at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

He has started 352 games over 11 NBA seasons and still views himself as a starting-caliber player. But with an established rotation already in place, Oubre understands he likely won't have a larger role with the Pacers.

“I just want to help my team win,” Oubre said. “The team that I’m with now, they have a situation where I am a piece. I am not one of the main pieces, but as long as I can start somewhere and work my way up, I’ll take it. I have never been given anything. I’ve had to work for everything in my career.”

This doesn't mean Oubre lacks confidence in what he can provide.

“I know at my level though, I’m a starter in this league,” Oubre said. “But at the end of the day, I’m on a team.”

It's a balancing act Oubre appears to ready to embrace. He still believes in his ability, but his priority in Indiana is contributing to a team with aspirations of returning to the postseason.

“I’ve been blessed enough to scratch and claw my way to the playoffs two of my three years in Philly,” Oubre said. “But this team was just in the Eastern Conference Finals two years ago. So, getting them back to the playoffs and then having that experience as a playoff player with a playoff team.”

KOJ — Apr 10, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) in the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For all the basketball reasons that brought Oubre to Indiana, there is also an unexpected connection to the franchise that dates back to his childhood.

As the conversation shifted to his basketball memories, Oubre recalled Reggie Miller playing his final NBA game.

“I remember sitting at home. I was like eight years old, I just started playing basketball and Reggie Miller retired and I cried,” Oubre said. “I never was a big Pacers fan, but I did like Reggie Miller because he could shoot, he was nimble, played hard and he had passion.”

More than two decades later, Oubre recently found himself thinking about that moment again --this time as a member of the same franchise.

KOJ — Mar 30, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) reacts against the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“He was the only player I’ve ever cried for when they retired,” Oubre said. “I remember sitting at home, watching it on TV and it was his last game. I was crying and I thought about this the other day. I was like, ‘Wow, so I’m in Indiana now.’ So, there’s that little nugget.”

It's a fitting connection as Oubre prepares to begin the next chapter of his career.

After 11 seasons in the NBA, Oubre arrives in Indiana understanding his role may look different than it has in the past. But between his relationship with Haliburton, his fit in Carlisle's up-tempo system and the opportunity to contribute to a team with postseason aspirations, Oubre believes he has found the right place.

He may not be one of the Pacers "main pieces", as he put it, but Oubre appears ready to do whatever is asked of him to help Indiana start winning again.

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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