NY Knicks: 3 free agents who compliment RJ Barrett

NY Knicks: Victor Oladipo could pair nicely with RJ Barrett

Yes, Victor Oladipo has struggled mightily to stay on the court in recent years. Yes, he is not the same player he was 3 years ago. Yes, all of that will have to be baked into his next contract, which is looking a lot less lucrative than it was back in February.

Oladipo’s name was floated around the rumor mill quite a bit before he was traded to the Miami Heat at the deadline. After averaging 20+ points per game for Indiana and Houston, Oladipo played in just 4 games for Miami before his season ended due to injury.

Cost is everything. Oladipo is not near the top of mine nor most people’s free-agent wish lists, but I don’t think he’s being talked about in the same light he was earlier in the season.

There is simply no way any team decides to hand him an expensive multi-year contract. What’s more realistic is a 2-year deal, but how much money remains to be seen. Money will be everything for Oladipo being a value.

Oladipo’s fit with Tom Thibodeau’s Knicks has been discussed before, and it starts with defense.

Getting Oladipo into the starting lineup means sliding RJ Barrett over to the 3, where he could be more comfortable. Some of RJ Barrett’s best defensive moments in 2020 came against wing players, and with this signing, Oladipo could take on the quicker 2-guards while Barrett can primarily stick to defending small forwards.

On offense, Oladipo can get to the rim – He was in the 66th percentile of all combo guards in at-the-rim field goal percentage, and he got to the rim frequently. His attack-mode mindset and passing ability could help get more open looks for Barrett, who should be getting more space on the court should he be playing between Rose, Oladipo, and Randle.

Oladipo could be a nice pairing with Barrett, but he’s certainly not as popular of a target as this next player.