Heat Rumors: Victor Oladipo Not 'Anywhere Close' to Return from Knee Injury

As the Miami Heat looks for an offensive spark amid a slow start, it doesn't sound like Victor Oladipo is very close to making his season debut.

On the latest episode of The Hoop Collective podcast (h/t Jonathan Sherman of HeatNation.com), ESPN's Brian Windhorst said Oladipo is not "anywhere close" to playing in games.

The Heat announced Oladipo was held out of practice on Oct. 18 due to left knee tendonosis.

Head coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters later that same day he didn't "want to put any expectations out there about Vic," though he was "extremely encouraged" about the work Oladipo put in during training camp and the preseason.

There was hope Oladipo could play a key role off the bench for Miami during the 2022-23 campaign. He appeared in each of the team's final 15 playoff games last season, including a 23-point effort in a 97-94 win over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference first round.

Injuries have derailed Oladipo's career since he made back-to-back All-Star appearances. He has only played 96 regular-season games since the start of the 2018-19 season.

A ruptured quad tendon suffered on Jan. 23, 2019, when Oladipo was playing for the Indiana Pacers, has been the main source of his health issues. The 30-year-old missed 12 months rehabbing from the original injury.

Oladipo initially announced he wouldn't return to play when the 2019-20 season resumed in the Orlando bubble to do rehab work on his quad tendon, but he changed his mind shortly before the Pacers' first game.

The Pacers traded Oladipo to the Houston Rockets in January 2021. He made 20 starts with the Rockets before being dealt to the Heat two months later.

Oladipo had a second surgical procedure on his quad tendon in May 2021 that prematurely ended his season. The Heat signed Oladipo to a two-year contract extension in July.

Miami has won back-to-back games following a 2-5 start, but its offense ranks 19th in rating (111.7) and 26th in points per game (109.1).