Why the Philadelphia 76ers shouldn’t trade for Victor Oladipo.
The Philadelphia 76ers will most likely have to give up a package of young talent, and draft picks to get a deal done. Once upon a time, this writer would have advocated for such a deal because a healthy Victor Oladipo gives the Sixers four All-Star caliber players. That rarely seems to be the case with Oladipo anymore, though.
When he first returned from the ruptured quad tendon injury he suffered in Jan 2019, he looked like a shell of himself. After such a long layoff, rust is expected, and we knew it would take a while for him to get into game shape after not playing for over a year, but it wasn’t until this season that we started to see flashes of pre-injury Oladipo.
These flashes of brilliance and glimpses of the level of play that made him a two-time All-Star had everyone fawning over Oladipo and convinced the Houston Rockets to pull the trigger on a trade for him. Yes, Oladipo has looked better than he did last season when he first returned, but he still isn’t quite the player he once was.
Sure he can help the team, but only if he’s able to get on the court. He’s already missed 10 games this season due to “injury management,” rest, and now a foot injury that has sidelined him for the last three games.
In addition to the question marks surrounding his health, Oladipo is raking in $21 million this season and is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer. If he walks in free agency, nothing short of winning the NBA Finals this year will make it worth trading for Oladipo, much like when the franchise traded for Jimmy Butler in 2018.
Due to their cap situation, the 76ers would have to match salaries while sacrificing youth and draft capital for a potential one-year rental. Daryl Morey and Elton Brand each have a reputation for making perilous decisions, but this is one they should maybe think twice about before pulling the trigger.
All-Star Oladipo could do wonders for a Sixers offense that still experiences periods of stagnance. Still, he doesn’t look like the quad injury is completely behind him, and if he gets hurt again, the Sixers would have merely traded for a $21 million cheerleader in street clothes.