Veteran guard Victor Oladipo reportedly wants a chance to start for a team and will likely command around $10 million annually.
That may take him out of the picture for teams that are only armed with the mid-level exception in free agency.
Oladipo missed the majority of the 2021-22 season while recovering from an injury. The two-time All-Star did play a big role for the Heat in their playoff run, and he reportedly has several teams interested in him this offseason.
Oladipo appeared in eight games in the 2021-22 regular season for the Heat and averaged 12.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from beyond the arc.
It appears the Heat are out on signing Oladipo, as they already have money committed to other players at the guard position and wouldn’t be able to guarantee him a starting role.
After making back-to-back All-Star teams earlier in his career, Oladipo started to fall victim to the injury bug. He has failed to play more than 33 games in a season since the 2018-19 campaign, when he played in just 36 games.
While he may be looking for a contract around $10 million, teams are likely going to be careful with how much they offer to the oft-injured guard.
Oladipo has spent time with the Orlando Magic, Indiana Pacers, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Heat in his NBA career. Time will tell what the next chapter of his basketball journey holds.