Former KU wing Oubre, who will continue knee rehab, won’t resume season with Suns
Former University of Kansas small forward Kelly Oubre Jr. has decided to continue rehab on his right meniscus following a March 3 surgery and will not play for the Phoenix Suns during the upcoming resumption of the 2019-20 season starting July 30 in Orlando.
In early June, Suns owner Robert Sarver had said the 6-foot-7, 24-year-old Oubre would likely play. Stadium reporter Shams Charania broke the news that Oubre won’t play again until the 2020-21 campaign.
“There is a chance that Oubre recently visited team doctors and the official examination raised some red flags. That Oubre’s recovery was actually stalled by all the free time (during COVID-19 coronavirus lockdown), where medical supervision was impossible,” wrote Dan Bickley of Arizonasports.com.
“There’s a chance Oubre isn’t playing because the immediate cause isn’t worth his long-term future, not when he’s a free agent after next season and ascending toward a massive payday. Not after he found himself on the shopping block near the trade deadline.”
Oubre, a five-year NBA veteran, averaged 18.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game in 56 games this season before suffering a torn meniscus. The season was suspended March 12 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Suns will resume the season with a disappointing 26-39 record.
Oubre has one year remaining on a two-year, $30 million free-agent deal with the Suns.
“However remote, it was a chance to break a 10-year playoff drought,” Bickley, of Arizonasports.com, added of Oubre’s return. “It could’ve been a proving ground for the team’s best starting lineup: Oubre, Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, Ricky Rubio and Mikal Bridges, a chance for that group to get an extended run of games together, a lineup that was briefly and tremendously effective in 2019-20.
“So it’s hard to know what our NBA team is thinking. Or what they’ll look like in Orlando. Or if we’ve seen the last of Oubre in a Suns uniform, blowing kisses to the crowd and dunking ferociously on an opponent. The latter would truly be a shame and just what you’ve grown to expect from a fallen franchise.”
Oubre’s shoe line debuts Thursday
Oubre’s All Star Pro BB “Soul” collection of basketball shoes will be released on the Converse website Thursday. The “Hi” variation of the shoe is priced at $140, the “Low” at $130.
“The Hi mixes a blotchy purple palette with a flat grey hue, all while adding black trim and branding. On the other hand, the Lo keeps things light with a crisp white base and a flowing, water-like blue print that submerges the lower half of the heel and forefoot. Both of these performance-geared, modernized takes on the Chuck Taylor are brought together with a drop-in React foam footbed, fused mesh upper, synthetic seams and a translucent outsole,” read a description of the shoes at hypebeast.com.
Oubre, who averaged 9.3 points and 5.0 rebounds a game for KU in his one-and-done 2014-15 season, also designs clothes for his “Dope Soul” brand.
Mason will play with Bucks
Former Kansas point guard and consensus national college player of the year Frank Mason III, who last week was named the 2019-20 MVP of the NBA G League, will be with the Milwaukee Bucks when the season resumes, according to behindthebuckpass.com.
That site reports that players with two-way contracts, such as Mason and Cam Reynolds of the Bucks’ G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, will be added to active rosters of NBA squads when the season resumes.
“Being able to have both Mason and Reynolds in the fold will be key for a Bucks team that will look to tune up and find their rhythm in the eight games that remain when the season restarts,” writes Jordan Treske of behindthebuckpass.com.
“Of the two, Mason has seen more action up with the Bucks, having logged six appearances and playing 53 minutes while averaging 2.3 points per game, 1.8 assists and 1.3 rebounds. Reynolds has yet to see a minute up with the Bucks and has yet to be active for a single game at this point.”
The Herd went 33-10. The Bucks resume play at 53-12.
“I’ve showered plenty of praise on Mason and highlighted how much his star has grown since arriving to the Bucks and playing for the Herd, where he finished as the leading scorer in the G League this year,” wrote Treske. “Plenty has to still be sorted out with how two-way players will be utilized under this scenario, but the Bucks having the option of having Mason and Reynolds at their disposal may come in handy when the time comes.”
Mason — he also was named first-team G League with Wisconsin Herd teammate Jaylen Adams, Salt Lake City Stars forward Jarrell Brantley, South Bay Lakers forward Devontae Cacok and Memphis Hustle forward Jarrod Uthoff — averaged a league-high 26.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He hit 50.4% of his shots, including 42.5% of his threes.
The 26-year-old, third-year pro will be a free agent at the end of this season.
“Frank has been an unbelievable point guard and leader for us all season,” Herd coach Chase Buford, a former guard at Kansas, told Fox Sports. “Throughout the season, he proved that he is an NBA caliber player, and this deserved recognition (MVP) clearly reflects that. Frank is a high-quality person and teammate, and that impresses me most.”
Buford was named G League coach of the year by ridiculousupside.com.
“In addition to being the head coach of the best team in the G League, Buford stands out through how he was able to build a winning culture that every player on the team was able to follow despite not having any experience working together before the start of training camp,” wrote Dakota Schmidt of ridiculousupside.com.
“While the talent of guys like Jaylen Adams and Frank Mason definitely helped push them towards success, a great team still needs a coach that knows how to utilize the skills of his players to work as a collective unit on both ends of the floor. And during the 2019-20 season, there was nobody in the G League better at that than the first year head coach.”
Graham honored by ESPN, Katz
Former KU guard Devonté Graham of the Charlotte Hornets is included in ESPN.com’s list of the top 10 second-year players in the NBA.
Graham, a former second-round draft pick, averaged 18.2 points and 7.5 assists per game in his second season with the Hornets. He was rated the sixth-best prospect from the 2018 NBA Draft by ESPN.com’s Kevin Pelton. Graham was ranked the eighth-best prospect in the 2018 draft class by ESPN.com’s Mike Schmitz.
Graham also has been named the fifth-best college shooter of the last 10 years by NCAA.com’s Andy Katz. The players listed ahead of Graham: Marquette’s Markus Howard, Virginia’s Kyle Guy, Michigan’s Duncan Robinson and Utah State’s Sam Merrill. Graham hit 40.9% of his threes and 42.2% overall during his KU career.
This story was originally published July 1, 2020 at 10:27 AM with the headline "Former KU wing Oubre, who will continue knee rehab, won’t resume season with Suns."
