Former KU wing Kelly Oubre Jr. longs for return of Sixers’ center Joel Embiid
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kelly Oubre Jr. was elated and said he was praying for Joel Embiid’s recovery.
- Joel Embiid practiced 15 days after emergency appendectomy and is listed as doubtful.
- Oubre averaged 14.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 2025-26.
Former Kansas basketball small forward Kelly Oubre Jr. was elated to see ex-Jayhawk center Joel Embiid practicing part-time on Thursday, a day before Game Three of a first-round NBA playoff series between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics.
Embiid, a 7-foot-0, 280-pound, 32-year-old native of Cameroon who won league MVP honors in 2023, participated in some of the Sixers’ drills just 15 days removed from emergency appendectomy surgery.
Still, Embiid is listed as doubtful for the 6 p.m. tip Friday at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philly. The best-of-seven series is tied 1-1.
“At the end of the day, it would be the biggest lift that we could ask for right now,” said Oubre, who played at KU in 2014-15 (Embiid was a one-and-done Jayhawk in 2013-14).
”He’s such a talent and he’s our guy so I’m praying for his recovery and I hope everything is going well back at home (in Philly where Embiid started a conditioning program Monday). We’re going to go home and check on him. Everybody’s going to huddle around him and say a prayer so that he can come back. I think he’s doing everything that he possibly can, so I think it’ll be the biggest lift that we could ask for.”
Oubre, a 6-foot-8, 210-pound New Orleans native, has emerged as one of the Sixers’ most reliable players.
The 11-year veteran, who played 3 1/2 seasons with the Washington Wizards after his one-and-done season at KU, then had short stints with Phoenix, Golden State and Charlotte, has found a home in Philly the past three seasons. A starter in 41 of the 50 games he played during this 2025-26 regular season, Oubre averaged 14.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists.
By comparison, Embiid this season has averaged 26.9 points a game and 7.7 rebounds in 38 games. Embiid — he missed the entire 2014-15 and 15-16 seasons following knee surgery — played in just 19 games in 2024-25 and 39 games in 2023-24.
Oubre scored 10 points on 5-of-14 shooting (0-for-5 from 3-point range) and grabbed seven rebounds in Game 1 of the Boston series followed by 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting (2-6 from 3) in Game 2.
Oubre was cited for outstanding defense on Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
“Nothing has ever been given to me in my life,” Oubre said after Game 2 on Tuesday. “Nothing’s ever been easy. So, I don’t really expect this, my career, to be that way. I’m always just getting out of the mud, figuring out how to be successful in any way that I possibly can, but I’m a winner. I just want to help my team win in any way possible.”
He’s been productive during his NBA career as both a starter and sixth man.
“I’m blessed to even be on the court, but at the end of the day, I do know that I have another level I could take it to, but I’m a big rhythm guy,” Oubre said. “I love music. So, rhythm and flow is kind of the way I go, but at the end of the day, man, I’m just happy to be here.
“I have guys like Kyle (Lowry) on the sideline just in my ear, telling me just to stay focused, stay locked in, stay engaged, and I just go out there and try to put the right foot forward.”
Still just 30 years old, Oubre is an unrestricted free agent after this season. It’s possible he could land another lucrative two-year deal. He earned $8,385,150 this past season after making $7,983,000 in 2024-25.
“Oubre has been a fantastic piece for Philly all season long in what has arguably been his most impactful individual campaign yet,” wrote Nicolas Kyle Pring of thesixersense.com. “Since being with the 76ers, his defensive acuity and attention to detail have greatly improved, making him a natural fit next to the team’s litany of scorers. The eccentric forward has been a featured piece for the franchise for three years now, and maintaining that dynamic should work well for both camps.”
Pring added: “The 76ers are now built in such fashion that losing Oubre would be disruptive for the way they operate on both ends (of the floor). But having said that, there is also a tenable argument against the team handing him a handsome pay raise.
“As a complementary piece, Oubre is not exactly of the irreplaceable kind. While there are not a lot of players who are capable of adapting to any kind of role and heft of scoring load, there are better perimeter operators out in the market. Defense is also cheaper to invest in, and getting stoppers is not as difficult as it seems.
“Obviously, the team should want him back, but suffice to say that things are going to be more complicated this time compared to the two previous summers (when he signed with Philly),” Pring added.
Embiid has two seasons to go before he has a player option on his own massive contract. He’ll make $57,985,752 in 2026-27 and $62,624,612 in 2027-28.
“He wants to play and we want him to play,” coach Nick Nurse said of Embiid. The seven-time All-Star missed 13 games with an oblique strain in March. Embiid also missed five consecutive games in February with a sore right knee. He had knee surgery in April 2025.
“I don’t know how close we are to that at this point, but I there’s some progress being made,” Nurse said.
