The Miami Heat and Victor Oladipo have been tied together for so long now, that it’s almost becoming tiresome to talk about. Nevertheless though, there is still a chance of something happening and he would be a major addition to the Miami Heat.
Here’s the thing though. I don’t want a trade to happen.
“What?!”, a lot of you out there are probably saying. However, look closely, as I didn’t say I didn’t want the Heat to do all they could to possibly land him.
What I am saying though is this, the Miami Heat shouldn’t relinquish assets or resources to get him. They would make better time for themselves by chasing him in the upcoming free agency.
While the rumors are out there that the Miami Heat are his preferred destination, that isn’t something solid that we can hang our hats on here. That doesn’t mean that we don’t have anything though.
In fact, here are three reasons that they shouldn’t move any assets to land him. They’re pretty good, even if I do say so myself.
Miami Heat reasons not to move assets for Victor Oladipo: Favor To Houston
The Miami Heat are in a prime position here. While they know that they may need to add a piece or two to ensure that they put themselves in the best position to possibly reach their ultimate goal, an NBA title or several for Jimmy Butler and Company, they also had enough to almost get it done last year.
As we’ve laid out this past week and as the team has illustrated with their recent play as well, that NBA Finals may have gone a bit different with a fully healthy Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo in the lineup for the entirety of the series as well, but that’s water under the bridge at this point (though it still stings like alcohol on a fresh cut).
What that means is that while they need a little more, they aren’t desperate. Why do the Houston Rockets what would essentially amount to a favor?
If you give them assets for a guy who doesn’t want to be in Houston, they probably are doing just that. Yea, some people will say that maybe he just wants the longer term security and that he’s waiting for a new longer deal in the offseason, well I say security is cashing in on one of the two deals he’s surely been offered already, as you never know what the future may hold.
That leads us to our next reason though.
Miami Heat reasons not to move assets for Victor Oladipo: Injury History
Victor Oladipo managed to come back during last season’s NBA Bubble situation and play well, might I add. He was actually also managing somewhat of a healthy year this season as well, with all things considered and that included a bit of load or health management in the form of missing games.
Then he was traded to Houston. He began to play a bit more regularly there, but still missed games here or there, seeming to be toggling back and forth with John Wall over who was playing on any given night.
They finally got some sense of togetherness and then, ironically enough, the Houston Rockets and the Miami Heat were set to face off. This was surely a chance for Oladipo to make a great impression in a game that Pat Riley would surely be interested in, but he managed to tweak something during that game as well.
Unfortunately, he wouldn’t return and that was the beginning of another extended absence of at least two more weeks. Fast forward to the time he returned, just a few games or so ago for Houston.
Then, on Monday night in a game that the Rockets would eventually go on to lose that also just so happens to be apart of their massive skid at the moment, Oladipo was injured again it seemed in the first half. That’s never great, injury that is, but when you have his injury history of recent and extended, it’s really tough to take.
Though he would start the second half of that game, the fact that there always seems to be something tweaked or going on with him might worry you a bit too. That’s the second reason that the Heat shouldn’t’ move assets to land him.
Miami Heat reasons not to move assets for Victor Oladipo: Cap Flexibility After Giannis Miss
The Miami Heat, like several other teams in the NBA, planned to go all-in on the Giannis Antetokounmpo Sweepstakes. Well, he ended that whole gameshow of a riot early by re-signing with his hometown Milwaukee Bucks.
Though I, kind of, wanted him to come to Miami, it wasn’t, at all, that shocking to see him re-up with Milwaukee. That was a shakeup though that Pat Riley had to have anticipated.
With that development, there is this cap room and flexibility coming in the coming offseason that was supposed to be dedicated to the Greek Freak, however, they won’t need it for him now. They can then take that and use it on Victor Oladipo or anyone else they want to, such as John Collins even, perhaps and please?
That’s just it though! On top of that, they won’t have to give up any of the talent they want to keep to do so.
Why give up talented pieces to bring in more talent, when with a little patience you can have it all?That goes especially when there is the risk associated that we have laid out above.
That’s just the smart way to go about it. The Miami Heat will likely make a few moves before, after, or at the deadline, but Dipo shouldn’t be one of them.
They’ll have to move resources to get it done and they shouldn’t do that. These have been the reasons why.