The Miami Heat have work to do! With the second-best part of the NBA Season behind the NBA Playoffs, free agency, about to get underway in a day or so, names and destinations are starting to emerge.
Outside of the heavily reported potential of losing P.J. Tucker, another name that Miami Heat fans should be concerned with might have played his last game in South Florida for now. According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, Victor Oladipo may just look elsewhere for next season.
"Early indications are Tyler Herro’s extension with Miami will settle around $25 million in average annual value. Victor Oladipo is not expected to return to the Heat and is said to have interest from Washington, Denver and Detroit, in the salary range of the taxpayer MLE."
Just like it is with P.J. Tucker, you’d have to see it happen before you actually believe it.
The Miami Heat have a lot of fighting to do to keep their own. Along with P.J. Tucker, they’d best serve themselves to retain the services of Victor Oladipo.
However, you do want to take the noise seriously around this time of the year because, at least, you know what to prepare for.
The situation does seem a bit awkward though. With Oladipo’s Bird Rights in tow, the Miami Heat can get a bit more tricky with their salary cap flexibility to sign him. Basically, if all Oladipo is expected to sign for is the “taxpayer MLE” or mid-level exception, then Miami should be able to beat that—or match it, at the very least.
That figure for the coming season looks to be projected to be around $6,392,000. Again, the Miami Heat can beat that number, especially with the room provided by his Bird Rights, and should for a guy like Oladipo.
He is a one-time star in the league who still has that potential on both sides of the ball. He showed what he can still do in the final game of the regular year against the team that drafted him, he showed it against the Atlanta Hawks in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs, and again, especially defensively, against Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Why not retain the man that you’ve invested so much time and energy into over the past few years. Especially if the potential is still as great as Dipo’s is.