NBA Rumors: Knee injury could harm Victor Oladipo's chances of getting a max deal in the summer
The Miami Heat seemed to make one of the best deals on trade deadline day when they acquired Victor Oladipo from the Houston Rockets.
He vindicated the faith shown in him and put in a couple of solid performances in the last two matches. However, the thing that the Heat and probably Victor Oladipo feared the most has happened, as he aggravated a knee injury in his last appearance.
It is the same right knee that ruled him out for a whole season in 2019. If the latest NBA rumors are anything to go by, the injury has now put a question mark on his chances of securing a max deal at the end of this season.
NBA Rumors: Victor Oladipo unlikely to be offered a max deal
Victor Oladipo was having one of his best games since joining the Miami Heat against the LA Lakers when he aggravated his knee injury.
He had 18 points, three steals and a block to his name within 25 minutes of playtime. However, he had to leave the court in the last quarter as he went up for a dunk and then felt something go wrong with his knee.
He is currently ruled out of action with the Heat evaluating the extent of his injury at the moment.
According to Miami Heat beat reporter Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sentinel, the injury could now hamper Victor Oladipo's hopes of landing a max deal at the end of the season. Not just with the Miami Heat but elsewhere as well.
Here's what Winderman told Heat Nation in an interview:
"It is increasingly unlikely that Victor will get anything near a maximum deal this summer, in terms of annual dollars or even years, from the Heat or elsewhere. Thursday’s injury rekindled plenty of questions that never were far removed from the conversation."
Despite recurring injury problems bugging him this season as well, Victor Oladipo has managed to score close to 20 points per game so far.
From the Miami Heat's perspective, all is not lost, though, as they signed him using his Bird rights, which means they can re-sign him for another season. They can also opt to let him depart in free agency as he is on an expiring deal and can land another top free agent instead.