Victor Oladipo Trade Rumors: Knicks Execs Mixed on Possible Deal for Pacers Star

Opinion on a trade for Indiana Pacers star Victor Oladipo appears to be divided within the New York Knicks front office.

The New York Post's Marc Berman reported general manager Scott Perry "would like to explore that avenue, but Knicks president Leon Rose is less eager."

Zach Lowe of ESPN reported on Nov. 5 the Knicks "had past interest in Oladipo, sources say, but they might have shifted into 'wait and watch' mode."

Jared Weiss of The Athletic wrote in September that Oladipo was "looking to move on this offseason" as he enters the final year of his contract. The two-time All-Star subsequently affirmed his commitment to Indiana in October, and Berman wrote about how he's already building a strong rapport with new Pacers head coach Nate Bjorkgren.

Over the last few years, it has become clear that the Knicks' best path to land a star-level talent isn't through free agency.

Gordon Hayward was the latest marquee name to spurn the franchise.

The New York Times' Marc Stein reported last Thursday the Knicks were "aggressive in their pursuit" of Hayward, who hadn't yet opted out of his Boston Celtics contract. Two days later, he agreed to $120 million over four years with the Charlotte Hornets, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Given that kind of investment, missing out on Hayward may not have been that bad for New York.

When it comes to Oladipo, the trouble for the Knicks and any other interested suitor is that it's unclear what kind of player he is. He averaged 14.5 points and 2.9 assists in 19 games after returning from his ruptured quad tendon. He also shot 39.4 percent from the field and 31.7 percent from long range.

It simply doesn't make a lot of sense to acquire Oladipo right now because the Pacers would presumably value him like the dynamic 2-guard who averaged 23.1 points in 2017-18 and went toe-to-toe with LeBron James in the first round of the 2018 playoffs.

Even though it would mean getting less time with a player on an expiring deal, waiting until a few weeks into the 2020-21 season is the best approach for teams that have Oladipo on their radar.