Should the Warriors seriously consider a trade that would bring Victor Oladipo to the Bay Area?
It sounds like the combo guard doesn't want to be a member of the Indiana Pacers for the long haul ...
... or even in the short term.
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Shortly after the Boston Celtics' season came to an end Sunday night in the Eastern Conference finals, The Athletic's Jared Weiss buried an interesting piece of information deep into an article about the Celtics' future.
"With Victor Oladipo looking to move on this offseason, according to sources ..." he wrote.
Oh really now?
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Golden State Warriors
Oladipo -- who entered the NBA as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft -- already has been traded twice in his career. The Orlando Magic in June 2016 sent him to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who shipped him to the Pacers (along with Domantas Sabonis) in July 2017 for Paul George.
The Maryland native became an All-Star in 2017-18, averaging 23.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and a league-best 2.4 steals. He was named the NBA's Most Improved Player, First-Team All-Defense and Third-Team All-NBA.
But disaster struck the following season.
After missing 11 games early on because of right knee soreness, Oladipo suffered a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee on Jan. 23, 2019, and did not return to game action until Jan. 29, 2020.
Understandably, he was rusty and didn't look like himself. Then things got a little weird.
In early July, he said he was not going to play in the Orlando bubble out of concern he could get hurt after a long layoff. He eventually changed his mind and suited up for six of the eight seeding games, plus all four playoff matchups against the Miami Heat.
Then in late August, the Pacers fired head coach Nate McMillan just two weeks after announcing a contract extension for him. Shortly thereafter, The Athletic's Bob Kravitz took inventory of where things stand with the franchise.
"Everything starts now with Victor Oladipo," he wrote. "Everything he has said and done these past couple of months suggests he’s looking for greener pastures, so it’s approaching time for team president Kevin Pritchard to make a decision.
"If Oladipo is open to staying in Indianapolis, which looks increasingly unlikely, you sign him to the contract and build around an exciting young core that has ample potential if they can stay healthy. If not, kiss Oladipo goodbye. I’m thinking it’s time to pucker up."
Now, all of this brings us back to Golden State.
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First off, any potential trade involving Oladipo assuredly would mean sending Andrew Wiggins to the Pacers. Parting ways with the 25-year-old would leave a huge void on the wing, and the organization truly sounds excited about his potential.
Secondly, we have no idea if the Pacers are interested in Wiggins. Also, they could demand the Warriors send them either the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 draft, or the Minnesota Timberwolves' 2021 top-three protected first-rounder. It's quite possible Golden State refuses to do that.
Lastly, Oladipo is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2020-21 season, so it's safe to assume the Warriors only would acquire the 28-year-old if he agreed to a contract extension. Otherwise, you risk losing him for nothing after just one year.
In summation, it seems unlikely Oladipo rocks a Warriors uniform next season.
But in the NBA, you shouldn't rule out anything.