NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Victor Oladipo, Tom Thibodeau, Knicks

Victor Oladipo planned not to play the remainder of the 2019-20 NBA season, opting instead to use the time to get fully healthy. But sometimes, plans change. And Oladipo may be getting close to changing his.

On Monday, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported that "there is growing belief" Oladipo is going to play for the Indiana Pacers following "multiple strong team practices in Orlando." Charania added that the shooting guard has been a full participant in Indiana's five-on-five scrimmages, and "there's now optimism around his playing status."

Although Oladipo wasn't planning on playing for the Pacers when the season resumed, he still traveled with the team to Orlando. He's already been cleared and entered the NBA bubble at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World, so that isn't likely to be an issue should he decide to play.

When Oladipo initially told Charania that he wasn't going to play, he stated that he was in a "great place" in his rehab and that he was "getting closer and closer to 100 percent." However, he stated he wasn't "fully comfortable in playing" and wanted to be "fully healthy" for 2020-21.

Perhaps Oladipo felt better than he expected he would during the Pacers' recent practices, which has led to him potentially changing his mind.

Oladipo played only 36 games during the 2018-19 season as he suffered a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee in January 2019. He returned to play 13 games for the Pacers earlier this year before the season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, but he wasn't playing at as high of a level as he has in the past.

In those 13 games, Oladipo averaged 13.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per contest. But after having more than four months off, the 28-year-old could be poised to post improved numbers when he returns to action.

The Pacers are set to play their first of their eight seeding games on Aug. 1 against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Latest on Knicks' coaching search, front office

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The New York Knicks are getting closer to naming a head coach. But they'll also now have a front-office position to fill in the near future.

According to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic, Tom Thibodeau "remains the front-runner" to be the Knicks' next head coach. New York has 11 candidates it is choosing from, per Vorkunov.

Vorkunov broke down how the Knicks' coaching search has gone, as they started with 30-minute "meet-and-greet sessions" before moving on to formal interviews. Those lasted three hours with the team interviewing candidates who currently work for NBA teams in the Orlando bubble two weeks ago and the other candidates last week.

New York president Leon Rose told MSG Network's Mike Breen last month that the team hoped to name a head coach before the end of July, so a decision could be coming soon. If Thibodeau is hired, the Knicks would be the third NBA team he has served as head coach for, as he previously led the Chicago Bulls from 2010-15 and the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2016-19.

The Knicks will also need to make a hire to fill their newly vacant vice president of player development role. Craig Robinson, who had been in the position since 2017, is taking over as the executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

However, it appears New York was anticipating the move. Vorkunov wrote that "Robinson's exit had been expected for months," and that the Knicks "had already been putting out feelers for someone to replace him before he left."

Regardless, it will be another change for New York as it looks to turn around the franchise in the near future.