Victor Oladipo once seemed like a guaranteed lock to receive a max deal from the Indiana Pacers. Unfortunately, after getting bogged down by injuries and suffering a series of unlucky breaks, he is now on this third team in a two-year span.
Recently, Oladipo put on a memorable show in the Miami Heat’s first-round playoff closeout game against the Atlanta Hawks. He finished with a team-high 23 points and served as the squad’s emotional leader with Jimmy Butler out.
But will that translate into a long-term deal come this summer?
Clarity on that topic emerged this week.
In a conversation with NBA insider Sean Deveney, one league executive suggested that “Oladipo is not in the long-term plans” for the Heat.
“That is the first time he looked completely like himself,” one general manager said.
“I mean, he is still looking at a minimum, make-good contract next year. But the more he shows that, the more he moves to a position where he can pick his spot, decide where he is going to get playing time—a team like Sacramento or the Knicks or the Blazers. It’s not going to be Miami, that has been pretty clear. But a game like that is going to stick, it’s going to carry into the summer.”
The position is understandable. Oladipo has played in all of 12 games for Miami. He has made far more headlines for bizarre off-the-court matters than anything substantive he has done for his team.
Jalen Rose kept it real.https://t.co/ZaMAKVGiBf
— Game 7 (@game7__) April 29, 2022
Oladipo is a talented guy, and he will have the opportunity to prove himself somewhere come next season.
But unless he is willing to take a minimum deal, and maybe even in that scenario, it likely won’t be in Miami in 2022-23.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
