August 25, 2026
Bill Streicher/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Can Kelly Oubre Jr. put the Indiana Pacers over the top?
After acquiring Jaylen Brown and LeBron James in the same offseason, Sixers President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey has set his new team up to be a full-blown championship contender.
The only problem: Ahead of the 2026-27 season, the Eastern Conference is shaping up to be as competitive as ever.
Over the next two weeks, PhillyVoice will be examining the 10 teams in the Eastern Conference that pose the greatest threats to James, Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and the Sixers.
Up next: the Indiana Pacers, whose dream run to Game 7 of the NBA Finals came crashing down with Tyrese Haliburton's devastating Achilles injury. That blow also foreshadowed what was to come in their 2025-26 season; injuries prevented the Haliburton-less Pacers from competing.
Myles Turner is gone, but Indiana acquired a better player in Ivica Zubac to start at center moving forward. Old friend Kelly Oubre Jr. is now set to handle a major bench role for the Pacers as they try to reestablish themselves
SCOUTING THE SIXERS' COMPETITION
Washington Wizards | Orlando Magic | Atlanta Hawks | Miami Heat
Toronto Raptors | Cleveland Cavaliers | Indiana Pacers
Indiana's most significant additions next season will be Haliburton and Zubac, but technically Oubre is the only player the Pacers added to their standard roster this summer:
| Added | Retained | Lost |
| Kelly Oubre Jr. | Kobe Brown | Micah Potter |
Exactly how Oubre fits into Indiana's roster remains to be seen. The Pacers rely on an enormous amount of movement and instinctual play offensively. Given his athleticism, quick bursts to the basket and overall athletic prowess, Oubre seems like a strong fit in many respects. But his subpar playmaking and tendency to be erratic as a decision-maker could be tricky fits within head coach Rick Carlisle's system.
Perhaps one way to evaluate Oubre's fit: He is Indiana's new curveball. So many of their players fit a similar mold: quick and reliable decision-makers with strong spot-up shooting, capable of playing within themselves. Oubre is ambitious. He sees himself as a high-caliber scorer, and sometimes he can be that. Perhaps the Pacers can benefit from some irrational confidence, even if there are times they have to rein Oubre in.
SIXERS FILM STUDIES
Jaylen Brown's strengths | Jaylen Brown's weaknesses
Anfernee Simons | Dean Wade | Ariel Hukporti
Indiana's depth chart looks quite solid, with a strong nine-man rotation and a few intriguing pieces on the fringes:
| PG | SG | SF | PF | C |
| Tyrese Haliburton | Andrew Nembhard | Aaron Nesmith | Pascal Siakam | Ivica Zubac |
| T.J. McConnell | Ben Sheppard | Kelly Oubre Jr. | Obi Toppin | Jay Huff |
| Quenton Jackson | Johnny Furphy | Jarace Walker | Larry Nance Jr. |
After years of being overtasked as a high-minutes starter with the Sixers, Oubre can now settle into a bench role he is absolutely good enough to make the most of. Especially if old friend T.J. McConnell's down season last year proves to be a sign of things to come, the Pacers will need some steady scoring outside of Haliburton-created offense. Zubac can help supplement Pascal Siakam's work with his post scoring, but Oubre can be a meaningful piece in Indiana.
MORE: Mike Gansey talks Jaylen Brown trade and LeBron James signing
It is hard to believe McConnell will be remembered for anything more than his remarkable rise from undrafted afterthought to starting point guard with the Sixers. But at this point, he is without question going to go down as a Pacers fan favorite first and foremost.
The most incredible fact of all: McConnell could finish his current contract with about $90 million in career earnings. McConnell and Oubre are the two former Sixers on this team, but lead assistant coach Lloyd Pierce was once a critical fixture on Sixers head coach Brett Brown's staff. Larry Nance Jr., signed to play third-string center, is the older brother of Pete Nance, twice a two-way big for the Sixers during the 2024-25 season.
SIXERS SIGN LEBRON JAMES
James' decision | Projecting Sixers' rotation | James' impact, on and off the court
