Miami Heat veteran guard Victor Oladipo’s efforts to get back to his old self took another hit after news surfaced that he’ll need to undergo another round of surgery.
Oladipo suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee during his team’s most recent game and is set to undergo surgery sometime soon.
“Miami Heat guard Victor Oladipo is expected to undergo surgery this week to repair the torn patellar tendon in his left knee, according to league sources,” the Miami Herald‘s Anthony Chiang wrote.
Despite the latest setback that Oladipo has been dealt, he will once again take on the arduous task of rehabilitation to try to get back to his past success.
The former first-round pick’s surgery will be performed in New York by the same orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Jonathan Glashow, who performed Oladipo’s second surgery on his quadriceps tendon in 2021.
“Oladipo is about to undergo his third major knee surgery in just more than four years, but the belief is he will be able to make a full recovery,” Chiang wrote. “Oladipo intends to continue his NBA playing career following this latest procedure.
“While the timetable will become clearer after the surgery, the initial timeline offered to Oladipo by Glashow includes a six-month recovery process. With workouts and court work beginning soon after, he could be cleared to return to game action as soon as early in 2024 next season, if everything goes as planned.”
Prior to a season-ending injury in January 2019, Oladipo had developed into one of the top guards in the NBA. That ascension came to a halt when Oladipo needed a full year just to return to play for one of his previous teams, the Indiana Pacers.
During the 2020-21 NBA season, Oladipo was first traded from the Pacers to the Houston Rockets. Two months later, he was sent to the Heat, but played in only four games before another injury ended his season.
For the 2021-22 campaign, Oladipo only saw action in eight regular season games and 15 playoff contests. The numbers he delivered for the Heat were still far below what he had produced during his peak years with the Pacers.
This regular season, Oladipo played in only 42 games for the Heat. In those contests, Oladipo averaged 10.7 points, 3.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.
Oladipo is making $8.75 million this season for the Heat and has a player option for next season worth $9.45 million. Given the veteran’s uncertain future, he’ll undoubtedly pick up the option, though how much he’ll play remains a question mark.
Also uncertain is how much time Oladipo has to get back at least some of his past excellence. He turns 31 on May 4, and whether he’s able to earn another contract with the Heat or any other NBA team won’t be decided until the expiration of his current deal.
For the Heat, their main focus remains on the team’s playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Heat currently lead the best-of-seven series 2-1. The team has a chance to take a commanding series lead in Game 4 on Monday night.
