The Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat are currently expected to be two of the most active teams in the NBA this offseason. Both franchises are looking to make splash additions to improve their chances of competing for a spot in next year’s NBA Finals. One player that they both seem to have interest in is Victor Oladipo.
Oladipo, who was acquired by the Heat ahead of the NBA trade deadline from the Houston Rockets, is coming off of another quad injury. He missed the back-end of the season and is not expected to be healthy until mid-December at the earliest. That makes his offseason market extremely intriguing.
When healthy, Oladipo is an All-Star caliber player and a lethal scorer. He would be a max contract caliber player if he wasn’t dealing with injury issues.
Due to his health concerns, it seems likely that Oladipo will have to settle for a one-year deal. In that one-year contract, he will be tasked with getting back to full health and then getting back on the court. Assuming he can get fully healthy and play at the level that he is capable of, Oladipo could receive a big contract next offseason.
According to a source who spoke to NBA Analysis Network, both the Heat and Mavs have interest in signing Oladipo for the right price this offseason.
During the 2020-21 NBA season split between the Indiana Pacers, Rockets, and Heat, Oladipo ended up averaging 19.8 points per game to go along with 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.4 steals. He shot 40.8 percent from the floor overall and knocked down 32.6 percent of his three-point attempts.
For the Mavs, bringing in a talent like Oladipo would make perfect sense on a one-year deal. If he can get healthy, he could be the secondary ball-handler and scorer that Dallas is looking for to take pressure off of Luka Doncic. They have had previous interest in trading for Oladipo.
On the other hand, the Heat would be bringing Oladipo back with the hope that he can become their dynamic back-court scorer alongside Jimmy Butler. When they traded for him at the deadline this year, he was expected to be a piece that could power them to a deep run in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Pat Riley still likes the idea of how Oladipo could fit with the roster when healthy.
Expect to hear more about Victor Oladipo in the near future with his recovery and his potential free agency market. He isn’t going to get a huge deal, but a one-year prove it deal with the Mavs or Heat would make a ton of sense for him.
