NBA Rumors: 2x All-Star expected to leave Miami Heat in free agency

Victor Oladipo reportedly wants to be with a new team come free agency.
Victor Oladipo reportedly wants to be with a new team come free agency.

Miami Heat guard Victor Oladipo has been rumored to have asked to leave the team once free agency hits. Oladipo will attract plenty of teams to sign him, but no one has shown interest in him so far.

Victor Oladipo's stint with the team hasn't been that remarkable, especially during the regular season. After getting traded from the Houston Rockets during the mid-season, Oladipo only played four games before suffering a quad injury.

Since then, he's struggled to stay healthy and was only allowed to play a limited amount of games.

Before the 2021-22 season, Victor Oladipo signed a one-year deal with the Miami Heat worth $2.4 million. Prior to joining the Heat, Oladipo famously turned down two massive contracts. The first was the contract extension offered by the Indiana Pacers worth $112 million for four years.

He also turned down a multi-million contract extension having been traded from the Pacers to the Rockets. Houston offered Oladipo a $45 million deal for two years.

Both offers were made before the injury bug hit the former second pick.

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The Pacers and Rockets organization saved themselves some money as Victor Oladipo's injuries continue to be a huge problem.

The last time he was able to play at least 30 games was back with the Pacers in the 2018-19 season. He was named an All-Star that year despite averaging only 18.8 points, 5.2 assists and 5.6 rebounds during the season.


Victor Oladipo's time with the Miami Heat was greatly underrated

Atlanta Hawks v Miami Heat - Game Five
Atlanta Hawks v Miami Heat - Game Five

Playing only eight games in one season and calling it underrated would come off as blasphemous for some. However, Oladipo proved that he can still perform at a high level. In his second playoff game, we saw him in the starting lineup and put up 23 points and three steals, eliminating the Atlanta Hawks in the first round.

Since then, he's come up big for the team, especially on the defensive end. He showed his quality in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics this season. Oladipo stole the ball four times while only playing 20 minutes off the bench. This helped the Heat secure the win and make the series competitive.

Victor Oladipo's playing style and playoff experience helped the Heat make it all the way to the Conference FInals. The team was dealing with injuries to point guard Kyle Lowry, veteran forward PJ Tucker and Sixth Man of the Year Tyler Herro.

Oladipo's role of coming off the bench and contributing like he did proved invaluable for the Miami Heat.

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Now, it's not known to anyone if the Heat are going to chase the 2017-18 Most Improved Player. Oladipo has proven that he can fit in with stars Bam Adebayo and Jummy Butler.

His defensive abilities make him an important player for the team. If the Miami Heat want to get back into championship contention, players like Oladipo are who they need.

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