The Eastern Conference in the NBA is a lot less competitive than the likes of the Western Conference, giving teams plenty of flexibility when it comes to the offseason. Teams in the East do not have to be as aggressive and can build around their core players, but the Indiana Pacers may have a problem on their hands— the future of Victor Oladipo with the organization.

Oladipo’s name has been mentioned a lot in trade rumors this offseason and while both he and the Pacers shoot down any speculation of Oladipo being on the move, Indiana did not get a contract extension in place to keep him long-term. Whether or not this is because they want to monitor the former All-Star’s injury situation and make sure he can still play at a high-level, Oladipo’s future in Indiana is very much up-in-the-air.

For the last five seasons, the Pacers have lost in the first round of the playoffs and while it is impressive that they have posted five-straight 40+ win seasons, with the talent that they have and money they have invested into this roster, the Pacers should be making deeper postseason runs. Indiana’s core makes up about 70% of their total salary payouts for the 2020-21 NBA season and with all of that money invested in these players, Pacers’ management wants to see results.

Oladipo has missed significant playing time over the last two seasons as a result of two serious leg injuries, which has cast a shadow of doubt over his future career with the Pacers. As a result of his injuries, his shooting and scoring numbers have declined, vastly affecting the Pacer organization on the court. 

The Indiana Pacers were the 8th lowest-scoring team in the NBA last season. With numerous players dealing with injuries, the Pacers have had to turn to their bench, which does not provide much depth, to begin with. With all of the uncertainty surrounding Oladipo, it would make sense for the Pacers to see what they can get in return for the former All-Star and potentially move him near the trade deadline this upcoming season.

If the Indiana Pacers do decide that it is time to move on from Victor Oladipo, here are the three teams who would be best positioned to land the two-time NBA All-Star.