The Miami Heat could still keep Oladipo beyond this year, but at what cost?
But there is another door to walk through this off-season. A return to the Heat at a “hometown” discount could help both sides.
In Miami, Oladipo doesn’t need to be the guy or even the second-best player. In Miami, he can fully recover from injury and return to his All-Star form.
After a year on the cheap, Oladipo can re-boot his career for the next big chunk of cash. Will he stay?
It may all depend on how far the Heat gets in this season’s playoffs.
Was the trade for Oladipo actually worth it for Miami?
The Heat gave up Avery Bradley, Kelly Olynyk and a 2022 pick-swap for the Rockets’ shooting guard. Plenty of words have been spilled on the loss of Olynyk.
And now that Oladipo is laid up with surgery, the trade could be called into question. But let’s put this in perspective.
Bradley is not Jrue Holiday. His defense is on the decline and has been for several years.
His off-ball defense was never good, even for the Boston Celtics. As for the offense, sorry I don’t miss the 5.2 points per game he is giving the Rockets.
The Olynyk departure hurts quite a bit more. He is averaging 19 points, eight boards, and four assists nightly in Houston and shooting nearly 40 percent from deep.
Moreover, the Gonzaga product is an incredibly flexible piece. He can roll with a bigger lineup or run with a smaller one.
And did I mention his clutch shooting (insert game seven reference against the Washington Wizards)? The pick is whatever and Bradley is barely a role player, but Olynyk, he will be missed.
However, the impacts of the trade are not tallied in full. If Oladipo returns next year for a reasonable deal, the trade could still pan out.
And because of the team’s depth, it isn’t detrimental in the short term. The move is still defensible, for now.
Is the experiment over? Only time will tell.