NBA Rumors: Victor Oladipo 'Still Hopes' to Be with Heat Despite Rockets Trade

Victor Oladipo reportedly wants to move again after being sent to the Houston Rockets as part of Wednesday's blockbuster four-team trade.

According to Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer, Oladipo "wanted out of Indiana but landed in another place he doesn't want to be."

The two-time All-Star reportedly "still hopes to find himself in Miami."

While the Rockets could flip Oladipo in another trade, he is also set to hit free agency in the offseason and could sign with the Miami Heat this summer.

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported in November that if Oladipo were to leave Indiana, the Heat "would be No. 1 on his list."

The 2021 free-agent market isn't as exciting as it once appeared to be with Giannis Antetokounmpo signing a long-term extension with the Milwaukee Bucks. LeBron James and Paul George are also among those no longer available after re-signing with their teams.

It could leave Oladipo as one of the top options available, especially after a strong start to 2020-21.

The 28-year-old averaged 20.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in his first nine appearances with the Pacers this season. He looks more like the player who won the league's Most Improved Player in 2017-18 as he gets further removed from the quad injury that cost him significant time over the past two seasons.

With Miami looking to build on last year's run to the NBA finals, adding Oladipo in a midseason trade could represent a key piece of the puzzle in 2020-21. It could also give the squad a head start toward signing him to a long-term deal.

For Houston, a trade could give the team more assets to kickstart the rebuild post-James Harden instead of letting the player leave in free agency.

This year's trade deadline is not until March 25, giving both teams plenty of time to evaluate potential deals.