Miami Heat made a big swing ahead of the NBA’s trade deadline sending Avery Bradley and Kelly Olynyk to Houston Rockets for All-Star guard Victor Oladipo.

Reportedly, the Heat also agreed to give the Rockets the rights for first-round pick swaps in 2022.

The trade was confirmed on Miami’s official social media on Friday.

Oladipo landed in Houston in January as part of the four-team trade that sent James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets. The Rockets passed on Caris LeVert in order to land the 28-year-old Oladipo, believing he could be the future of the franchise.

But it didn’t take much for the Rockets to fall out of love with Oladipo. Despite averaging 21.2 points since joining the franchise, he didn’t look close to his All-Star form, and there was the danger of him walking out for nothing in free agency.

In order to avoid being left empty-handed, the Rockets pulled the trigger on a trade that many believe was bad for them. While Bradley and Olynyk are solid players, they are not difference-makers that Oladipo certainly can be.

Heat, on the other hand, managed to get themselves a player that can greatly impact the rest of the season. After limping to a 22-23 record so far in 2020/21, the expectations are that with the addition of Victor Oladipo, Miami can turn around their fortunes and once again make a run for the NBA Finals.

Oladipo entered the league as Orlando Magic’s No.2 pick in 2013. He also played for Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers, averaging 17.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists throughout his career. 

The post Victor Oladipo Traded to Miami Heat appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It appears that All-Star guard Victor Oladipo isn’t so keen on leaving the Indiana Pacers as some previous reports indicated.

In a recent chat with ESPN’s Eric Woodyard, Oladipo labeled the rumors of his wishes to be traded as “nonsense”.

“Growing up, I was always taught not to engage in nonsense,” said Oladipo. “I never have. I never came out and said that I didn’t want to play for the Pacers or be in this organization but, yeah, I’m focused on now. Here and now.”

Oladipo also added that he won’t let the chatter affect his performance on the basketball court or lose focus “of what really matters and that’s this team, my teammates, this organization and making sure I’m healthy.”

Victor Oladipo is entering the final year of his contract but the Pacers haven’t been aggressive in trying to lock him down to an extension this offseason. There are indications that the franchise is willing to let him play out the season and determine whether to make him an offer based on his performances.

Although Oladipo reached an All-Star level of play in Indiana, he is also coming back from a ruptured quad tendon injury that caused him to miss more than a year of action. He returned to the court in January, but his performances were lukewarm, and he didn’t look like the player he once was.

In 19 games in the 2019-20 season, Oladipo only averaged 14.5 points per game, which was his lowest output since his rookie season. For comparison, in his first season in Pacers’ jersey, he was scoring 23.1 points per game. That being said, look for him to bounce back strong.

The post Victor Oladipo Denies He Wants to Leave the Pacers appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Indiana Pacers haven’t lost hope that they could have All-Star guard Victor Oladipo on their roster when NBA resumes. 

Oladipo previously opted out of playing in the remainder of 2019/20, citing health concerns after he missed a year with a quad tendon tear. Still, the 28-year-old guard decided to join the team in Orlando and reportedly looked really good in the team practices.

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, this prompted Pacers to believe Oladipo might change his decision.

Earlier this week, Pacers coach Nate McMillan echoed a similar optimism.

“We are not approaching it as if he’s not playing,” said McMillan about Oladipo. “We are putting him out there. There are no restrictions for Vic. He’s been going hard.”

With Victor Oladipo on the court, Indiana Pacers would become a much bigger threat for NBA title contenders in the Eastern Conference. Despite missing Oladipo for the most part of the 2019/20, Pacers managed to get to 39-26 record and No.5 seed. The current standings would have them playing Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs.

Oladipo returned to court back in late January and managed to play a total of 13 games before the NBA suspended its activities due to coronavirus pandemic. He averaged 13.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.

The post Pacers’ Still Hoping Victor Oladipo Might Play Again This Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Indiana Pacers’ Victor Oladipo might be on the move. According to SNY’s Ian Begley, several NBA teams are targeting Oladipo after contract extension talks between Pacers and the 28-year-old All-Star guard broke down.

Oladipo is set to become a free agent in 2021, and Pacers attempted to tie him up to a long-term contract before the start of the season. Reportedly, one of the offers included four-year, $80 million, but the players’ representatives declined and negotiations stalled.

Pacers rejected several trade offers in the past for Oladipo, but don’t want to risk losing him for free. Begley reports that a number of teams, including New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, are closely monitoring the situation and are prepared to make an aggressive bid if the player doesn’t commit to Indiana in the near future.

While Indiana Pacers are keen to keep Victor Oladipo as part of their core, they are reportedly hesitant to commit a lot of money to him. Oladipo suffered a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee in early 2019 and was out of action for more than a year. He returned in January and played 13 games, but struggled to return to form averaging only 13.8 points per game.

Pacers might change their mind if NBA season resumes, and Oladipo manages to replicate his All-Star form from his first two seasons with the organization. If not, there will be plenty of teams willing to take him off Indiana’s hands and pay a hefty price for that.

The post Several NBA Teams Targeting Pacers’ Victor Oladipo appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Indiana Pacers’ All-Star guard Victor Oladipo has been out since late January when he ruptured quad tendon in his right knee. There haven’t been many updates from the Pacers about the timetable for his recovery since, but reportedly Oladipo could return to NBA courts in January.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Oladipo is optimistic about his rehab and hopes he could be in game shape by the end of the next month or at least late February. The 27-year-old recently increased his practice load and has been doing on-court workouts with the rest of the team.

Oladipo’s return will be significant for Indiana Pacers and might establish them as a legit contender in the Eastern Conference. Despite missing their biggest star, Pacers have been playing some great basketball lately and have won six out of their last seven games. They are currently fifth in the East, being 1.5 games behind second-placed Boston Celtics.

Victor Oladipo arrived in Indiana as part of the trade that sent Paul George to Oklahoma City Thunder. Oladipo has been stellar for the Pacers in his first season, averaging career-high 23.1 points per game while leading the league in steals with 2.4. He was on course to have an even better year in 2018/19 before going down with an injury.

The post Pacers’ Victor Oladipo Hopes to Return to NBA Courts in January appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Miami Heat made a big swing ahead of the NBA’s trade deadline sending Avery Bradley and Kelly Olynyk to Houston Rockets for All-Star guard Victor Oladipo.

Reportedly, the Heat also agreed to give the Rockets the rights for first-round pick swaps in 2022.

The trade was confirmed on Miami’s official social media on Friday.

Oladipo landed in Houston in January as part of the four-team trade that sent James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets. The Rockets passed on Caris LeVert in order to land the 28-year-old Oladipo, believing he could be the future of the franchise.

But it didn’t take much for the Rockets to fall out of love with Oladipo. Despite averaging 21.2 points since joining the franchise, he didn’t look close to his All-Star form, and there was the danger of him walking out for nothing in free agency.

In order to avoid being left empty-handed, the Rockets pulled the trigger on a trade that many believe was bad for them. While Bradley and Olynyk are solid players, they are not difference-makers that Oladipo certainly can be.

Heat, on the other hand, managed to get themselves a player that can greatly impact the rest of the season. After limping to a 22-23 record so far in 2020/21, the expectations are that with the addition of Victor Oladipo, Miami can turn around their fortunes and once again make a run for the NBA Finals.

Oladipo entered the league as Orlando Magic’s No.2 pick in 2013. He also played for Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers, averaging 17.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists throughout his career. 

The post Victor Oladipo Traded to Miami Heat appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It appears that All-Star guard Victor Oladipo isn’t so keen on leaving the Indiana Pacers as some previous reports indicated.

In a recent chat with ESPN’s Eric Woodyard, Oladipo labeled the rumors of his wishes to be traded as “nonsense”.

“Growing up, I was always taught not to engage in nonsense,” said Oladipo. “I never have. I never came out and said that I didn’t want to play for the Pacers or be in this organization but, yeah, I’m focused on now. Here and now.”

Oladipo also added that he won’t let the chatter affect his performance on the basketball court or lose focus “of what really matters and that’s this team, my teammates, this organization and making sure I’m healthy.”

Victor Oladipo is entering the final year of his contract but the Pacers haven’t been aggressive in trying to lock him down to an extension this offseason. There are indications that the franchise is willing to let him play out the season and determine whether to make him an offer based on his performances.

Although Oladipo reached an All-Star level of play in Indiana, he is also coming back from a ruptured quad tendon injury that caused him to miss more than a year of action. He returned to the court in January, but his performances were lukewarm, and he didn’t look like the player he once was.

In 19 games in the 2019-20 season, Oladipo only averaged 14.5 points per game, which was his lowest output since his rookie season. For comparison, in his first season in Pacers’ jersey, he was scoring 23.1 points per game. That being said, look for him to bounce back strong.

The post Victor Oladipo Denies He Wants to Leave the Pacers appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Indiana Pacers haven’t lost hope that they could have All-Star guard Victor Oladipo on their roster when NBA resumes. 

Oladipo previously opted out of playing in the remainder of 2019/20, citing health concerns after he missed a year with a quad tendon tear. Still, the 28-year-old guard decided to join the team in Orlando and reportedly looked really good in the team practices.

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, this prompted Pacers to believe Oladipo might change his decision.

Earlier this week, Pacers coach Nate McMillan echoed a similar optimism.

“We are not approaching it as if he’s not playing,” said McMillan about Oladipo. “We are putting him out there. There are no restrictions for Vic. He’s been going hard.”

With Victor Oladipo on the court, Indiana Pacers would become a much bigger threat for NBA title contenders in the Eastern Conference. Despite missing Oladipo for the most part of the 2019/20, Pacers managed to get to 39-26 record and No.5 seed. The current standings would have them playing Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs.

Oladipo returned to court back in late January and managed to play a total of 13 games before the NBA suspended its activities due to coronavirus pandemic. He averaged 13.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.

The post Pacers’ Still Hoping Victor Oladipo Might Play Again This Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Indiana Pacers’ Victor Oladipo might be on the move. According to SNY’s Ian Begley, several NBA teams are targeting Oladipo after contract extension talks between Pacers and the 28-year-old All-Star guard broke down.

Oladipo is set to become a free agent in 2021, and Pacers attempted to tie him up to a long-term contract before the start of the season. Reportedly, one of the offers included four-year, $80 million, but the players’ representatives declined and negotiations stalled.

Pacers rejected several trade offers in the past for Oladipo, but don’t want to risk losing him for free. Begley reports that a number of teams, including New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, are closely monitoring the situation and are prepared to make an aggressive bid if the player doesn’t commit to Indiana in the near future.

While Indiana Pacers are keen to keep Victor Oladipo as part of their core, they are reportedly hesitant to commit a lot of money to him. Oladipo suffered a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee in early 2019 and was out of action for more than a year. He returned in January and played 13 games, but struggled to return to form averaging only 13.8 points per game.

Pacers might change their mind if NBA season resumes, and Oladipo manages to replicate his All-Star form from his first two seasons with the organization. If not, there will be plenty of teams willing to take him off Indiana’s hands and pay a hefty price for that.

The post Several NBA Teams Targeting Pacers’ Victor Oladipo appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Indiana Pacers’ All-Star guard Victor Oladipo has been out since late January when he ruptured quad tendon in his right knee. There haven’t been many updates from the Pacers about the timetable for his recovery since, but reportedly Oladipo could return to NBA courts in January.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Oladipo is optimistic about his rehab and hopes he could be in game shape by the end of the next month or at least late February. The 27-year-old recently increased his practice load and has been doing on-court workouts with the rest of the team.

Oladipo’s return will be significant for Indiana Pacers and might establish them as a legit contender in the Eastern Conference. Despite missing their biggest star, Pacers have been playing some great basketball lately and have won six out of their last seven games. They are currently fifth in the East, being 1.5 games behind second-placed Boston Celtics.

Victor Oladipo arrived in Indiana as part of the trade that sent Paul George to Oklahoma City Thunder. Oladipo has been stellar for the Pacers in his first season, averaging career-high 23.1 points per game while leading the league in steals with 2.4. He was on course to have an even better year in 2018/19 before going down with an injury.

The post Pacers’ Victor Oladipo Hopes to Return to NBA Courts in January appeared first on SportzBonanza.