2021 NBA Trade Deadline: 10 trades to shake up the season

Trade No. 2: Victor Oladipo to the Miami Heat

Perhaps the most talked-about potential trade of this season, the Miami Heat have been flirting with the idea of trading for Victor Oladipo for quite some time now. This, to be honest, seems like a great deal to pursue.

After a stellar playoff run last season that ended in an NBA Finals defeat, the Miami Heat started off their 2020-21 campaign surprisingly poorly. They have, however, picked up the tempo and are now sitting fourth in the Eastern Conference, thanks to Jimmy Butler’s remarkable performances.

Victor Oladipo certainly fits the Heat culture and could gel with the team immediately. Eric Spoelstra’s defensive-minded playstyle is one that Oladipo has brought with him all along during the course of his career.

Oladipo is on an expiring contract, meaning that any team that wishes to take a late flyer on him might be left empty-handed in a few months. Luckily, the Heat have luck on their side, as it is believed that Oladipo himself wants to end up in Miami, one way or another.

When you’re a smoothly functioning team, you rarely take the risk of ruining the team’s success by trading for big-name players. In that case, though, trading for Oladipo could give Butler the wing partner that best suits his playstyle.