Former KU wing Kelly Oubre Jr. would love to re-sign with Hornets. Will it happen?

As an unrestricted free agent on a non-contending NBA team committed to rebuilding, eight-year veteran Kelly Oubre Jr. realizes there’s a good chance the Charlotte Hornets will wave goodbye to the 6-foot-7 former Kansas wing this offseason.

There’s also the possibility the Hornets could re-sign the 27-year-old Oubre as a veteran presence to play alongside LaMelo Ball on a Charlotte team coming off a dismal 27-55 campaign.

“It would mean a lot. My family (wife, daughter) loves it here. I love it here. I love the organization, the city, my teammates, so it would mean a lot to me for sure,” Oubre said of possibly reaching terms on a new contract to remain in Charlotte.

Oubre’s two-year deal worth $25 million expired following his most productive season as a professional. Oubre — he’s played for four teams since leaving KU after the 2014-15 season — averaged 20.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 48 games in 2022-23.

Oubre had surgery on Jan. 5 to repair a torn ligament in his left hand. Returning to action on Feb. 24, he played in 13 games before being shut down for the rest of the season after hurting his shoulder in late March.

“I just want to be somewhere I’m loved, where I’m wanted,” Oubre said during his recent season-ending “exit interview” with reporters who cover the Hornets regularly.

“As much as I love you guys, I have to know that you all love me back, simple as that,” Oubre added. “It’s just one of those things (in which) you hate the business side of it because we’re all humans at the end of the day.

“I’m a journeyman. I’m from New Orleans, Louisiana. I moved to Houston, Texas in 2005 (after Hurricane Katrina). My senior year of high school I moved to Vegas (to play for Findlay Prep). After that year I went to Kansas, then I went to D.C (playing for the Washington Wizards for 3 1/2 seasons before being traded to Phoenix). I can keep going down the line. I don’t even have a home. I don’t have a place I can call home. That’s all I’m looking for.”

Oubre — he signed with the Hornets in 2021 after playing 55 games for Golden State the previous season — averaged 15.0 points and 4.0 boards his initial season in Charlotte.

“I’m happy with them, I’m not satisfied,” he said of his stats over two seasons as a Hornet. “I can sleep at night knowing every time I suited up I gave it my all. I was locked in to each and every second I played.

“To talk about the business side, all the pieces have to fit on the puzzle. Like the draft is coming up, free agency, a lot of things. I’m not the only free agent on the team. So as much as we would want to speak on it I can only pray and hope everything falls together so we can keep this band together.”

Because of injuries to Ball, Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward and Dennis Smith early in the season, Oubre, a 43.1% shooter, elected to expand his game by driving to the hoop for easy buckets.

According to nba.com’s Sam Perley, “his drives per game increased from 3.6 to 7.2 between last year and this year. A stop-and-pop elbow floater was a big part of Oubre’s repertoire, causing his mid-range efficiency to rise from 27.0% on 0.5 attempts to 44.4% on 1.5 attempts.”

“It allowed me to do more, 1,000% percent,” Oubre, who connected on 2.3 threes per contest, said of his role on an injury-plagued team. “I was asked to score and guard the best player on the other team, play multiple positions and with different lineups. It was a blessing to be able to be available when other guys went out. My three-point percentage was 32% and that’s not ideal, that’s not what I would like. It was a higher percentage in the paint than the three, which is positive because I’ve been a driver or attacker my whole career.

“It just showed me a lot of things that I need to work on. That’s all it is. I need to be comfortable being fatigued and still performing at a high level.”

So will Oubre, the No. 15 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, continue his career in Charlotte or not?

Frankly it may depend on the offers he receives from other teams in free agency. Still young at 27, Oubre, who averaged 9.3 points and 5.0 rebounds in his one-and-done season at KU (2014-15), should be helped by the fact that 2022-23 was his best year stat-wise.

“Kelly Oubre had a fantastic season for the Hornets and has yet to really find a home since entering the NBA. Kelly wants to remain in Charlotte, so it seems like the ball is in (general manager) Mitch Kupchak’s court,” writes Austin Leake of si.com.

“With Kelly Oubre being an unrestricted free agent, it makes it harder for the Hornets to be able to re-sign him. Oubre has spoken many times about how much he likes Charlotte, but I believe it’s going to come down to how much money he wants and how much are the Hornets willing to pay. They also might be more interested in paying Miles Bridges if they have to make the choice.”