NBA Rumors: Victor Oladipo could miss the entire 2021-22 season.
When the Miami Heat acquired him at the NBA Trade Deadline, it appeared all was finally right for Victor Oladipo. He was roughly two years removed from his significant quad injury, was finally on a team of his liking, and would be able to play a role that likely fit him better (as a second or third option).
However, that honeymoon only lasted four games. After hurting his right quad again, Oladipo underwent surgery to repair the injury. It’s a similar (if not the same) injury that forced him to miss roughly a year of action just a couple of seasons ago with the Indiana Pacers.
Now, as he prepares to head into free agency, his future – both on and off the court – is very much uncertain. Oladipo now faces an uphill battle to even just get back on the court, not to mention trying to recoup the large amount of money he turned down from both the Pacers and Houston Rockets over the past year.
It’ll be impossible to predict what awaits Victor Oladipo during the offseason in free agency
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It’s tough to predict what the offseason will hold for Oladipo, let alone the next year. But one thing is clear – this is an absolute worst-case scenario for a player that is about to test free agency. And it’s absolutely heartbreaking for him.
Oladipo was finally going to be in control of his destiny and now an injury all but disallows him to do so. I’m sure there will still be teams interested in his services but there’s likely not going to be a long-term offer that he hoped he have, let alone the big-money contract many NBA players dream of.
Oladipo has made a good amount of money through his NBA career, but this free agency period was going to give Oladipo the financial security that every player in the NBA plays and trains for.
It’s going to be interesting to see how Oladipo elects to approach free agency. Will he simply try to get the most money possible? Will he be willing to sign a short-term, prove-it type of deal with a contender? Will he not sign a contract until next offseason (considering that he might miss all of the 2020-21 NBA season?
Oladipo has had a rough last few years in the NBA. Just after it seemed he had finally reached an all-star status, it all came crashing down due to injury. The hope is that he can eventually get back to that all-star form, but there’s simply no guarantee that he will.
At least for right now, all Oladipo needs to focus on is getting healthy. And heading into an offseason in which he’ll be a free agent, that might be a difficult thing to do.