Pacers Agree to Contract with Kelly Oubre Jr.

The Indiana Pacers have come to an agreement with the Philadelphia 76ers two-way small forward, Kelly Oubre Jr.

According to reports from Shams Charania of ESPN and Kelly Iko of Yahoo! Sports, the deal is worth $17M over the next two seasons. This puts the average annual salary at $8.5M per year and gets the Indiana Pacers a much needed wing off the bench, that shows flashes of good defense, strong cutting, and a good level of physicality, specifically when driving the ball.

In 2024, Kelly Oubre Jr. signed a 2 year, $16,365,150 contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, all of it was guaranteed, and it was an average annual salary of $8,182,575 per season. The Pacers deal with the versatile wing is similar in salary, but a slight increase in pay.

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

Last season for the 76ers, Kelly Oubre Jr. started in 41 of the 50 games he appeared in. He averaged 14 points, 5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game. He had solid shooting splits of 46.7% from the field, 36.0% from the three-point area, and 76.6% from the free throw line.

Indiana will bring Oubre Jr. off the bench and he will essentially replace the role of Bennedict Mathurin last season. They are totally different players, but it was a much needed addition that gives the Pacers depth.

The Pacers roster now sits at 14 players and depending on how the contract is structured, and this puts Indiana around $1-2M shy of the first apron.

According to CapSheets.com creator and NBA salary cap analyst, Yossi Gozlan, The Pacers can sign Kelly Oubre to these terms with the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. They are now hard-capped to the first apron and are $6.5 million above the luxury tax line. They can get under the tax by trading a combination of their lower-end rotation players.

Here is how the Pacers depth chart projects for next season as the roster is currently constructed:

Starters:
Tyrese Haliburton
Andrew Nembhard
Aaron Nesmith
Pascal Siakam,
Ivica Zubac

Second Unit:
T.J. McConnell
Kelly Oubre Jr.
Jarace Walker}
Obi Toppin
Jay Huff

Third String:
Quenton Jackson
Ben Sheppard
Johnny Furphy
Micah Potter

Chad Buchanan also mentioned the Pacers might look to add to their center depth, and with Micah Potter’s contract non-guaranteed, they can still do that.

While this move is not a blockbuster deal, it is a significant depth piece addition, and someone who has a ton of experience. Oubre Jr. has played in 35 playoff games averaging 9.5 points per game, and is a capable starter that can fill in if Haliburton, Nembhard or Nesmith are to miss any time with an injury.

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