Knicks Rumors: Latest on Victor Oladipo’s situation in Indiana

Is Victor Oladipo a potential trade candidate for the New York Knicks?

Pacers guard Victor Oladipo reportedly wants out of Indiana and “there are whispers” the New York Knicks are a potential trade partner, per Jonathan Macri of Knicks Film School.

The 28-year-old will enter the final season of his four-year, $84 million contract next season. The Pacers can twist his arm to sign an extension (at a discount to what they could offer in 2021), keep him as a lame-duck, or try to find value for him on the trade market.

Due to salary cap constraints, which could become even tighter depending on where the cap settles in the new league year, Indiana can only offer him a 20 percent raise on his existing salary, which would be nearly $10 million less than he could earn as a starting salary on a max contract in 2021.

Any team that is willing to surrender significant assets to acquire Oladipo would probably look to sign him long-term, but it’s unclear what the market would be in these challenging economic times for a recently injured star.

The Indianapolis Star reported in July that Miami was the strongest possibility of where Oladipo could land if he leaves Indiana. SNY reported in May that several teams were monitoring the guard’s situation in prep of a potential trade.

Victor Oladipo is trying to prove he can return to star form

The NBA’s 2017-18 Most Improved Player missed 371 days before returning from a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee this past January. After initially indicating he would sit out Indiana’s return-to-play in Orlando, he decided to play, suffering an eye injury and looking rusty as the team was swept by the Miami Heat.

Indiana fired head coach Nate McMillan following the team’s disappointing playoff exit. There are rumors of him losing the locker room, with former Knick and impending free agent Justin Holiday recently linked to the Knicks after it was reported he was unhappy with happenings behind the scenes.

SNY has reported the Knicks believe they are in position to trade for a disgruntled star—stocked with young players, excess draft capital, and cap space. Whether Oladipo qualifies as a “disgruntled star player” is up for debate at this point in his career.

Obviously, trading for a player coming off a major knee injury who is approaching 30-years-old and requires a large cap outlay to keep long-term would carry significant risk for team president Leon Rose as he tries to turn the Knicks into competitors after seven consecutive losing seasons.

Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard tried to calm any urgency to the team’s decision on Oladipo’s future in a recent press conference.

"“We don’t feel any rush to make any quick decision on Victor,” Pritchard said via J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star. “It will be up to him. He will have the choice. It’s his first time to have autonomous choice. He can go and do whatever he wants.”"

While he is still under contract for one more season, it is pretty clear that the ball is in Oladipo’s court. If he wants out, it would make sense for the Pacers to look for a trade partner.

That said, Pritchard told reporters this week that Oladipo hasn’t indicated any direct desire to leave (yet).

Oladipo isn’t giving any hints to the media, either.

"“I know what I need to focus on, what I need to do to make sure my knee gets stronger and better and what I need to do to get better as a person and a player,” Oladipo said when asked about his future (via ESPN). “I learned a lot from this year, and I learned a lot from this series, so I just got to continue to keep working.”"

While rumors will continue to swirl around the Indiana product, with his injury history and age, it would seem a long-shot for the Knicks to focus their attention on the former All-Star given where they are in their rebuilding efforts.