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Shockwaves were sent throughout the NBA on Wednesday when James Harden left the Houston Rockets to be replaced by Pacers star Victor Oladipo and a lot of the Brooklyn Nets' future draft picks.
The reverberations of the blockbuster deal are still being felt as NBA Trade Rumors have begun to circulate suggesting that Oladipo could be immediately flipped by the Rockets before the trade deadline.
The Indiana Pacers have had a solid start to the season with a 7-4 record, partly down to Oladipo's return to form. In the previous two seasons, the former All-Star had struggled through injuries, starting only 52 games for the Pacers. In the opening 9 games of this year, however, the shooting guard appears to be back to his very best, averaging 20 points and 4 assists.
Having acquired the 28-year-old on an expiring contract though, the Houston Rockets may not want to risk losing Victor Oladipo come the offseason for nothing. Therefore, this has triggered NBA Trade Rumors that the franchise may look to move their new player on immediately before the trade deadline.
In this article, we will analyze three teams who could prove to be a better fit for one of the league's elite two-way players.
NBA Trade Rumors: 3 teams that should target Houston Rockets latest pickup Victor Oladipo
In this list, we have suggested 3 sides that would both benefit from Victor Oladipo's All-Star talent, and more importantly, are teams the shooting guard would prefer to play for over the Rockets.
#1 Miami Heat
An unlikely move for Victor Oladipo would be to play for the Miami Heat. Kevin O'Connor of 'The Ringer' reported that sources have said the guard has not given up hope of playing in Florida despite it not being a great fit.
That's not to say it couldn't happen, however. Both sides could see potential in a trade involving Oladipo for Tyler Herro, the Miami Heat's current shooting guard.
Given that the Rockets player has expressed interest to play in Miami, the organization could be sure that he would sign a contract with them when he becomes a free agent at the end of the season.
Putting Oladipo alongside Jimmy Butler would form an extremely potent offensive force and would improve the Heat's defense should they make another return to the NBA Finals.
#2 Boston Celtics
Another one of the Eastern Conference's giants, the Boston Celtics, could also be in the market for Victor Oladipo, per NBA Trade Rumors. With their trade exception as well as some of their younger talent, the Celtics front office could put together a deal worthy of Houston's attention should they wish to ship out Oladipo before the deadline.
Boston have one of the league's elite defensive units where Victor Oladipo would perfectly fit in. In the 2017-18 season, Oladipo led the league in steals, earning him a place in the Defensive Team of the Year and is currently averaging 1.7 steals this term.
Bringing in Victor Oladipo would force coach Stevens into some tactical changes given Jaylen Brown is averaging a career-high 26.3 points so far this year. Undoubtedly, Oladipo would not want to settle for being a bench player, meaning Brown would have to drop out. If the Celtics could make this happen, they would be a prolific rotation pairing and would thus increase their chances for success in the playoffs.
#3 Dallas Mavericks
A third option for Victor Oladipo, though less reported on in NBA Trade Rumors, are Western Conference hopefuls Dallas Mavericks. Dallas currently have two of the most exciting young talents in the league in Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis and could use Oladipo as their third big star.
Out with their European superstars, the Mavericks could benefit from additional scoring with them currently sitting at 14th for offensive efficiency. Furthermore, if Dallas are to make a serious challenge in the playoffs this season, as many have tipped them to, bringing in Oladipo's talent will aid the Mavs on both ends of the floor and take pressure off Doncic.
The shooting guard's defensive awareness would undoubtedly benefit the Mavs, even if it were only a short-term transition. Were Dallas to face either of the LA sides as they did last season, Victor Oladipo could be the addition to help them overcome a deeper roster.
Guess the Lakers players!
