Report: Victor Oladipo, Pacers 'Very Briefly' Talked New Contract Before Season

The Indiana Pacers and shooting guard Victor Oladipo reportedly "very briefly" discussed a contract extension before the start of the 2019-20 NBA season.

ESPN's Zach Lowe reported Friday the "sides concluded it was best to revisit later."

Oladipo is in the third season of a four-year, $85 million contract with the Pacers. He can become an unrestricted free agent after the 2020-21 campaign.

The 27-year-old Maryland native recently made his return to the Indiana lineup after more than a year on the sideline while recovering from knee surgery in January 2019.

Although his minutes have been limited through his first four appearances, he's already found a way to make an impact. Most notably, he hit a game-tying three with 10 seconds left in his season debut against the Chicago Bulls. The Pacers went on to win 115-106 in overtime.

"We got Victor Oladipo back," Indiana point guard Malcolm Brogdon told reporters after that game. "We're going to be all right."

The Indiana University product put together his best season in 2017-18, his first year with the Pacers. He averaged 23.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.4 steals and 2.1 threes in 75 games, and he ranked sixth among all NBA players in ESPN's real plus-minus.

It's always difficult to project how a player will perform after a major knee injury.

In turn, Indiana is probably best served seeing how Oladipo, whose performance dipped last season before the injury, plays during the season's second half before ramping up extension talks.

The focus now is trying to make some noise in the playoffs, and the Pacers currently sit fifth in the East at 31-20, an impressive feat given the absence of the two-time All-Star.

Indiana could emerge as a postseason sleeper if Oladipo returns to peak form in the season's second half.