Miami Heat wing Victor Oladipo is going to have one of the most intriguing NBA offseasons of anyone in the league. When healthy, he has shown that he can be an All-Star level producer, filling numerous roles for a team. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been very healthy the last few years.
Oladipo has played in only 96 games the last four seasons, limiting the impact that he can have. There have been some flashes of the All-Star form he showed during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, but it has been far and few between.
That is what makes this postseason stretch so important for him. Oladipo returned to play in eight regular-season games with the Heat and looked good in those games, averaging 12.4 points per game. He was knocking down 3-pointers, making 41.7 percent of his attempts, and showing some playmaking with 3.5 assists as well.
In the postseason, he has forced his way into the rotation, taking the place of Duncan Robinson. While his efficiency on offense hasn’t been as good in the playoffs, his defensive abilities have shown through.
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Each positive performance improves Victor Oladipo’s bargaining power this offseason. The injuries are a major red flag, but if he can show he is capable of helping a team win games, his market will expand.
One team that could be a fit for him in free agency, should he leave the Miami Heat, is the Toronto Raptors. Oladipo would help alleviate their need for another player that can create not only for himself but for his teammates. The team is lacking a true point guard, taking a committee approach to running the offense with rookie Scottie Barnes leading the way in the postseason and Fred VanVleet filling in behind him.
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Oladipo’s defense would also fit in perfectly with what Nick Nurse has schemed up on that end of the court. Nurse hasn’t had a true center at his disposal, so he has used length and athleticism to try and speed up and disrupt opposing offenses. Oladipo and his 6’9” wingspan would fit perfectly into that plan of attack from the backcourt or wing.
Getting Victor Oladipo north of the border is easier said than done. Toronto doesn’t possess the cap space to sign him outright but they should be able to offer a full mid-level exception, which may be more money than the Heat can offer him.
Sign-and-trade scenarios could also be shared. The Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors have experience working those deals out, as they agreed last offseason on a deal that was centered around Kyle Lowry heading to South Beach.
