NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole chats with the new Warrior Kelly Oubre after he was acquired from the Thunder. Oubre discusses Golden State’s style of play, studying Michael Jordan and playing against his new team.
Kelly Oubre is happy to be on the Warriors. He's also pleased to no longer be playing for the Phoenix Suns, and those two sentiments aren't entirely unrelated.
Oubre has been making the rounds with the local Bay Area media ever since being acquired by Golden State in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder last week. Just a handful of days prior to that transaction, the Suns had traded Oubre to the Thunder as part of the package for Chris Paul.
Oubre joined 95.7 The Game's "Damon, Ratto and Kolsky" on Monday and expressed his excitement about playing alongside stars such as Steph Curry, Draymond Green and -- eventually -- Klay Thompson. But his excitement isn't solely about the players on the roster. It has plenty to do with ownership, too.
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"You just hit the nail on the head," Oubre said. "I can play for an owner -- somebody who actually cares about the organization and not just the perception of the organization on the media end of it. It's all about the foundation for me, man. You have a beautiful foundation, can build a beautiful [future]."
Warriors owner Joe Lacob has proven time and again that he's willing to spend whatever it takes to contend for a championship, and Oubre's mere presence on Golden State is further proof of that. Factoring in Oubre's salary and the resulting tax penalties, he'll cost the Warriors approximately $82 million this upcoming season. That's a massive investment, particularly given that Thompson will miss the season with a torn Achilles. But it's keeping with Lacob's reputation, which stands in stark contrast to that of Suns owner Robert Sarver.
RELATED: Oubre brings gifts Warriors need to fill Klay's absence
In addition to his new teammates and owner, Oubre is looking forward to playing for Warriors coach Steve Kerr.
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"The day before [Kerr] actually texted me after I got traded here, I was watching him on TV, obviously, 'The Last Dance,'" Oubre said of the ESPN documentary series about the 1997-98 Bulls, of which Kerr was a member. "So it was just kind of like being a kid in a candy store to be able to play for a legend like that. It's just been exciting. I told him today, 'I'll loosen up a little bit. I'm just in shock a little bit still that I can play for you and this organization. It's been dope.' He's been one of the best out there, and I'm happy."
Oubre is entering the final year of his contract, but his new situation certainly seems to offer precisely what he's looking for. Perhaps that's why when asked if he hopes to make Golden State his long-term home, he responded, "Yes, 100 percent."