The Houston Rockets traded James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets this past week in a deal that involved multiple teams, players and draft picks.
One of the less discussed players that changed homes as a result of the transaction was Victor Oladipo.
Oladipo and the Indiana Pacers had been engaged in something of a standoff for months regarding his looming free agency. He wanted a max deal, whereas the organization did not view him as that sort of player. That made a trade inevitable – although nobody quite saw it happening in this fashion.
Late in the week, after all the dust settled, Oladipo’s old team and his new team both gave their thoughts on him changing squads. Malcolm Brogdon spoke on behalf of the former group, getting very honest in the process. New Rockets GM Rafael Stone, meanwhile, spoke on behalf of the latter.
“First thing [Oladipo] did was ask for video so he could independently study our offense and defense so that he’s up to speed,” he told Alykhan Bijani of The Athletic. “The background that we have on him is that he’s exactly the type of person that we like in this organization.”
The Bucks owner’s daughter decided to bring 2021 in with a bang by stripping all her clothes off. https://t.co/UgzhEEna4o
— Game 7 (@game7__) January 7, 2021
So far this year Oladipo has averaged 20 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game while playing 33.3 minutes per game for the Pacers. If he brings that sort of production over to Houston, it will go a long way in replacing what was lost when Harden skipped town. Plus, his apparent dedication to making a good impression on his new team should endear him to a group that is still very salty about the way Harden handled his exit.
That said – Oladipo is said to have his sights set beyond playing for the Rockets. He is good friends with Bam Adebayo and is believed to be very interested in playing for the Miami Heat. Whether he will ultimately land there in the offseason remains to be seen.
The Ravens kept it real after Lamar Jackson’s latest playoff flop. https://t.co/zmz16PZho1
— Game 7 (@game7__) January 17, 2021
Related: Irritated Bam Adebayo Calls Out Miami Heat For Poor Play
A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
