NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Pacers' Victor Oladipo, LaMelo Ball Eyeing Knicks

The resumption of the 2019-20 NBA season is coming. And so is the upcoming offseason, including free agency and the 2020 NBA draft, albeit a bit later than usual.

While much of the current buzz around the Association has to do with its plan to resume play on July 30, there are still plenty of rumors about what could happen during the upcoming offseason via free agency, trades and the draft.

Here's some of the latest rumors from around the NBA.

What's in store for Oladipo's future?

Victor Oladipo won't be on the court for the Indiana Pacers when the 2019-20 season resumes later this month, as he is focusing on getting fully healthy for the 2020-21 campaign. And that will be an important season for the 28-year-old, as it will be the last one of his current contract with the Pacers.

It's possible the shooting guard will no longer be in Indiana after next season, as he could decide to sign with another team during free agency in 2021. And according to J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star, he already knows what he'll be looking for at that time.

"Two league sources told IndyStar that Oladipo wants two things: the most money possible [he will be 29 next year] and the chance to win big in the playoffs," Michael wrote.

The Pacers acquired Oladipo in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder prior to the 2017-18 season. In his first two seasons with the team, they reached the playoffs both years. However, they also lost in the first round both times, falling to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018 and the Boston Celtics in 2019.

But Oladipo hasn't been on the court much since his first year with the team. He had a tremendous 2017-18 season, averaging 23.1 points and an NBA-high 2.4 steals over 75 games to win the NBA Most Improved Player Award. Since then, he has only played 49 games over the past two seasons due to injuries.

Michael noted that while some think Oladipo could head to the New York Knicks if his time in Indiana comes to an end, there's another team that could be a more likely landing spot.

"Despite rampant speculation that he could end up with the Knicks [he fired Leon Rose of CAA, then his agent who is now president of the franchise], the strongest preliminary indication is Miami," he wrote.

It could make sense for Oladipo to join the Heat, who are already a playoff contender, have a strong core to build around and may have the money to pursue a top player during the 2021 offseason.

Ball appears interested in going to Knicks in draft

Rick Rycroft/Associated Press

The Knicks have the sixth-best odds of landing the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA draft, with a 9 percent chance of securing the top selection. However, it's also possible they could fall as low as the No. 10 pick.

If New York ends up with one of the top picks, it could try to draft LaMelo Ball. And it appears that that's what the point guard is hoping will happen.

According to Ian Begley of SNY, "multiple teams believe Ball and those in his circle prefer that he lands in New York." Of course, the Knicks' lottery luck could determine whether that's a strong possibility, unless they're planning on doing whatever it takes to trade up and secure Ball.

It's not too much of a surprise that teams are hearing about Ball's interest in playing in New York. In May, Marc Berman of the New York Post reported "some league sources" believed the Ball camp was going to try to "steer" him to the Knicks.

Ball's father, LaVar, has also made it known that he'd like his youngest son to play in New York, stating on Complex's Load Management podcast in May that he thinks the 18-year-old would be a great fit with the Knicks.

In 2017, LaVar Ball wanted his oldest son, Lonzo, to get drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers. That was what ended up happening, but the Lakers also owned the No. 2 pick, so it didn't take much work for them to select Lonzo Ball.

If everything goes as scheduled with the NBA's resumption of the 2019-20 season, then this year's draft won't take place until October. So, there will be plenty of time for rumors and buzz to circulate about where Ball will start his NBA career.