Victor Oladipo and the Miami Heat are struggling so far this season with an 11-14 record, and many are concerned about their ability to get off the mat and return to contender status.
Their prospects could’ve been worse, as Oladipo was dangerously close to leaving Miami and joining the Washington Wizards according to Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson.
Miami Heat G Victor Oladipo was 99% close to signing with the Washington Wizards this past off-season.
Things changed in the closing seconds.
My discussion via @BallySports’ Scoop B Intel. pic.twitter.com/or1dCC9HX0
— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) December 8, 2022
“Victor Oladipo almost became a member of the Washington Wizards this past offseason,” said Robinson. “A native of P.G. County, Maryland, I’m told that the deal was about 99 percent done, and in the 25th hour, the Washington Wizards withdrew their offer. Very interesting, Oladipo ultimately ended up re-signing with the Miami Heat this summer, and he’s looking to be back and in the fold pretty soon in head coach Erik Spoelstra’s system.”
The injury-prone Oladipo has played in just two games so far this season. He had been sidelined due to a knee injury until he made his season debut on Tuesday versus the Detroit Pistons.
The Heat have been starving for offense this year, as they rank only 26th in offensive rating and 28th in points per game. The hope is that a healthy Oladipo will give them a much-needed shot in the arm offensively.
Not too long ago, he was one of the NBA’s more explosive guards, not just offensively but defensively as well. He routinely averaged deep in the teens in scoring during his first several seasons, and he was known for his blazing speed, especially in transition.
Oladipo also made an All-Defensive team in the 2017-18 season, as he led the NBA in steals per game that year.
But a catastrophic knee injury during the 2018-19 campaign started his downfall, as he has been unable to stay healthy ever since. Since then, the most games he has managed to play in during a single season is 33.
Miami is specifically hoping Oladipo can help jump-start its backcourt offensively. Starting point guard Kyle Lowry, who is 36 years of age, is shooting just 39.6 percent from the field this season, and he clearly isn’t the player he used to be.
The team is now reportedly open to trading him in order to bring back some type of talent that could help it become a championship contender again.
