NBA: 3 teams that should pursue a trade for Victor Oladipo

Indiana Pacers’ star Victor Oladipo is in an awkward position with his current contract extension and could be desirable for several NBA teams.

Since coming over to the Indiana Pacers in 2017, Victor Oladipo has asserted himself as one of the top guards in the NBA’s Eastern Conference. In two of his three years with the Pacers, Oladipo received All-Star honors, only having missed this year because of a devastating injury that limited him to just 13 games this season.

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The Pacers’ season halted with a 39-26 record and fifth place in the Eastern Conference even without their star shooting guard for a majority of the season. Indiana was a great team even without their leader but seemingly appeared to be a postseason team that could wreak havoc with their team at full strength.

Having understood that this team could elevate to one of the Eastern Conference’s top contenders, the reportedly offered Oladipo a four-year $80 million extension before the season began, according to Ian Begley of SNY.

Not surprisingly, Oladipo rejected the offer as he felt he deserves a much more lucrative deal, considering his current deal was a four-year $84 million contract. After this season, the 27-year-old has one year left on his contract before he will enter free agency, and while Indiana can go all out and extend him, it might prove difficult.

The team has significant money tied into Myles Turner, All-Star Domantas Sabonis, and former Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, meaning they may not want to give Oladipo the massive offer he desires.

Oladipo’s injury also causes concern for the organization, as he ruptured a quad tendon in his knee last season and missed over a year of action. The All-Star did return for 13 games this season, and averaged 13.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game, making it difficult for the Pacers to judge him entirely with the NBA’s shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

If the team feels that Oladipo is unhappy with his new contract offer and would rather move him than get tied down in a monstrous offer, several teams would be interested.

Here are three teams that should pursue a trade for Victor Oladipo this offseason if he becomes available, and why.