Victor Oladipo is making another push to get back into the NBA, and he’s doing it with a direct appeal to the league’s general managers.
In an open letter, the former Heat guard said he believes his body and mind are back after injuries interrupted what once looked like a far brighter career path. He left no ambiguity about what he wants next.
“I believe my body is finally right. I believe I still have GREAT (and more importantly, WINNING) basketball in front of me.
I believe I can be a valuable contributor to an NBA locker room. And what I’m asking for right now is an opportunity to prove it.”
That puts Miami in an interesting spot. The Heat, who were Oladipo’s last team, still have one roster spot available as they try to finish shaping their first-year roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo. On paper, that opens the door for a low-risk swing on a player who was a well-liked figure in Miami during his year-plus with the club.
For fans, the idea probably sounds easy enough. Oladipo left a strong impression, and plenty of them would likely be fine with seeing him get a shot in training camp. But the front office has a different set of priorities.
Miami may prefer to keep that final spot open for the buyout market once the season starts. There is a path to doing that by making Oladipo’s deal non-guaranteed, though it’s unclear whether both sides would want to go that route.
From a basketball standpoint, there is at least a case to be made. The Heat could use another playmaker off the bench, even if Davion Mitchell proves he can handle a starting role next to Giannis and Bam Adebayo. That secondary creator is still a need, and Oladipo’s skill set would fit that job in theory.
But everything comes back to the same question: does he still have enough left?
That’s the hurdle for Miami, and for any team considering him. Oladipo has been working out in Miami, but the real answer may not come until he gets into a training camp setting and shows what he has now.
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For Miami fans, the broader value is in watching how those returning national-team contributors come back to their clubs after a demanding stretch abroad. Serbia's Nikola Jokic played through illness, Portugal's Neemias Queta returned from injury to help his team, and those kinds of minutes and matchups can matter once the NBA calendar picks back up. The Heat have reason to keep an eye on the international side of the schedule, since it can shape rhythm, availability and confidence in ways that are not always obvious until teams get back home. [Read more 🡒]