Veteran guard Victor Oladipo is returning to the Rockets, though he will be a very different version of himself.
For starters, Oladipo is out with a torn patella tendon, suffered late last season while with the Heat — and sadly, it’s nothing new. Oladipo keeps getting held back by leg and groin injuries, and some around the NBA will tell you he’s almost entirely lost his explosiveness.
At any rate, Oladipo was acquired via the Thunder, along with young big man Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. In exchange, the Rockets are sending guard Kevin Porter Jr. to the Thunder — who intend to waive him, given his recent run-ins with the law, and eat his $16.9 million contract.
As for Oladipo, there truly is no easy answer about his future. But it appears he will at least stick with the Rockets for now.
Per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, citing a source, the Rockets intend to keep Oladipo (who’s been traded twice already this summer) and his expiring $9.5 million contract. It’s that type of deal that could be used as a “valuable trade chip,” Feigen wrote.
Oladipo, 31, is 6-4 and appeared in 54 games with the Heat over the past two-plus seasons combined, He averaged a career-low 10.7 points on 40 percent shooting in 2022-23.
He initially played with Houston during the 2020-21 season, appearing in 20 games.
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