Heat Rumors: Victor Oladipo Agrees to 1-Year, $11M Contract in 2022 NBA Free Agency
June 30, 2022
The Miami Heat and veteran guard Victor Oladipo have agreed to a one-year, $11 million deal that will keep him in South Florida, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
Oladipo joined the Heat during the 2020-21 season in a trade from the Houston Rockets. However, he only appeared in four games for the franchise before suffering a quad injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the year.
Despite only appearing in four games, Miami re-signed the 30-year-old to a one-year deal in August 2021. At the time, The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania reported that he would return to the open market in 2022 in hopes of signing a big contract.
Oladipo then missed most of the 2021-22 season while recovering from surgery on his quadriceps tendon. He didn't make his debut until March 8 and was in and out of the lineup after that.
In eight regular-season games, the Indiana product averaged 12.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 47.9 percent from the floor and 41.7 percent from deep. He also appeared in 15 playoff games, averaging 10.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals.
It's no surprise Miami opted to re-sign Oladipo. When healthy, he is one of the most effective guards in the NBA. During the 2017-18 season, his last fully healthy year, he averaged 23.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting 47.7 percent from the floor and 37.1 percent from deep in 75 games en route to an All-Star selection.
That said, Oladipo should play a significant role in Miami's rotation during the 2022-23 season. If he can stay healthy, the Heat will again be one of the most feared teams in the Eastern Conference.