When the Houston Rockets brought Victor Oladipo to the three-team James Harden trade, the question was whether Oladipo would stay in Houston long-term. We still do not know what the answer is. On Monday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Oladipo had turned down Houston’s $ 45.2 million two-year extension offer, but all but to ensure he would enter this summer as an unrestricted free agent.
In those two years, $ 45.2 million was the most the Rockets could offer before the summer. Once a free agency starts, Houston would be eligible to offer Oladipo as high as $ 151 million over four years or $ 195 million over five years, per Wojnarowski, while another team would be eligible for up to four years. , $ 145 million, to offer.
Since the Rockets swapped Caris LeVert, a good player under team control until 2023, for Oladipo, you would think they would not want to lose him for free this summer. But maybe that’s not true. Maybe they prefer that the money just come from the books. The Rockets could get about $ 20 million in the hood this summer if they relinquish Oladipo, Dante Exum and PJ Tucker, who can last trade before the March 25 deadline for a contract that expires.
If the Rockets decide they want more than just space for Oladipo, they can trade with him for the next few weeks and try to find a good choice and / or a good young player plus the salary that expires. They can hang out with him and try to do a sign-and-trade job in the summer, which has recently become a more popular step than before. Or again, they could end up in a bidding war to keep Oladipo in the long run.
It’s hard to imagine Oladipo, who in his time with the Rockets shooting less than 40 percent off the field and under 30 percent of three, coming close to a maximum offer from anyone. Despite the offensive struggle, you will hear Oladipo’s name a lot as the deadline approaches. Paying him long-term is a cheaper proposition than a candidate taking a short-term chance at him with a running contract. He showed offensive flashes of his old self, and he would help everyone in defense.
If Oladipo is traded to a playoff team and he performs well on a big stage, something around $ 100 million over four years feels like a rough ceiling in terms of what he could recommend this summer – $ 20 million less than what Hornets gave. Gordon Hayward, another former All-Star who never regained his form before the injury before entering the open market.
Would the Rockets offer such money? Oladipo has reportedly long wanted to finish at the Miami Heat, which could generate more than enough headroom to sign him on the assumption that he does not have a maximum of four years. The Knicks will have money, and rumor has it they are monitoring the status of a number of veterans, most notably CJ McCollum and Zach LaVine, as they have suddenly become a playoff game under Tom Thibodeau.
Whatever happens, it’s not surprising that Oladipo turned down this two-year deal on Monday. Whether it’s from Houston or someone else, he’s almost certain to get a decent long-term offer this summer, when the list of free agents will be relatively thin.