There is a cloud of uncertainty surrounding the immediate future of Victor Oladipo as he enters NBA free agency in less than two weeks. Oladipo sustained his second significant right quad injury in March of this year, during the 4th quarter of a Miami Heat home game against the Lakers.
Oladipo was coming down after dunking the basketball when he felt pain in his right quad/knee. The pain caused him to spend the next month and a half getting opinions from several doctors about how he should proceed for the rest of the season. Oladipo decided on May 13th when the Heat announced that he would undergo season-ending right quad surgery.
After the surgery, several reports contradicted each other about Oladipo’s timetable for returning to the court. On May 22nd, Oladipo’s surgeon stated that he re-attached his quad to the knee and that Oladipo could be cleared for full-contact basketball by November.
However, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald stated on June 30th that Oladipo’s camp hoped to return to the court between mid-December and early February. But if they couldn’t meet this timetable, he would stay out the entire season to get healthy for free agency in 2022.
Let’s take a look at three teams who should pursue unrestricted free agent Victor Oladipo in NBA free agency this offseason.
Given the uncertainty surrounding the future of Oladipo, what teams are the best fit for him? Well, the answer is a team that features pick and rolls in their offense who has a realistic shot of making the playoffs with potential financial limitations.
Oladipo has excelled as a pick and roll ball handler since 2015, shooting 41.5 percent from the field on 5.6 shots a game, creating 5.9 points: 32.1 percent of his scoring output. There are three teams who feature pick and rolls in their offense that could also afford to wait for Oladipo to return later on in the season as they have a realistic shot of making the playoffs.
Let’s take a look at this trio of teams.