Since he’s come back to you guys, there’s been some noise about him looking ahead towards his free agency. And, you know, you’ve been around the league long enough now where you see this stuff all the time, but teams like the Heat get mentioned. From your perspective, what do you make of that free agency talk a year in advance? Myles Turner: I mean, it’s just the media doing what the media does. They have to gaslight certain situations, and you know I don’t think much of it, because like you said, it’s really a year out. Ultimately, it’s going to be up to him and the decision he wants to make, or the decision the front office wants to make. So, until then, all you can do is control what you can control and just hoop on the floor. I think if he continues to be himself, then he can kind of create his own destiny, so I don’t pay much attention to all that stuff.
More on Victor Oladipo Free Agency
When you guys are in the locker room, obviously you hear about that stuff, or you see it on Twitter. Do you guys as his teammates and as friends also do you guys talk about that stuff? Myles Turner: Nah, man, we’re all professionals. We all know that, like I said, the media has to gaslight certain things to create a story or create a narrative. We really don’t care. We just play basketball.
Brian Windhorst: The strange thing about this is that now Victor (Oladipo) is sort of reevaluating his opt out. And from what I understand, I mean, at least what I've been led to believe, I don't know if it's 100 percent true or not, his reevaluating is not to do with the 3 million bucks, although I can't accept that it doesn't figure into at least part of his thinking. But the fact that he's gotten out and played five-on-five with his team and feels pretty good... From what I understand he looks back, from what I understand. He looks better than any Pacer down there, even the guys who are fully healthy. Now Malcolm Brogdon is coming back from COVID. so I don't know what kind of condition he's in, but I heard he's the best guy on the floor.
The chatter began with The Athletic’s Shams Charania noting the Heat’s interest in adding both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Oladipo — the two players that I had identified a week earlier as Miami’s most likely targets in 2021 free agency. And now comes a Wednesday report from the Indianapolis Star that “despite rampant speculation that he could end up with the Knicks (he fired Leon Rose of CAA, then his agent who is now president of the franchise), the strongest preliminary indication is Miami” as his next team.
Oladipo insisted that his thought process has nothing to do with 2020-21, when he’ll be in the final year of his contract with the Pacers and likely enter the summer as an unrestricted free agent. “I understand this is a business,” Oladipo said. “I’m making this decision based on my health. I want to be at the best form possible.”
"I think there's a lot riding on him coming back," a Western Conference coach said. "There's major concerns with these injuries. If Vic comes back and plays well -- and he works his ass off, so he could -- I think he's gonna give a reminder to everyone how good he can be. "If he proves he looks the part, you're gonna see teams like the Knicks, and other teams trying to build something, try to go get him."
Although Oladipo made the All-Star team in 2018 and 2019, the combination of him having only one truly great season, the injury and having just one year left on his contract has many scouts and executives skeptical about committing to him on a big deal. "The tricky thing for me with Oladipo is this guy has had a relatively long career and he had one year at an All-NBA level and that's really the only All-Star-level [year he's had]," an Eastern Conference executive said. "Last year, he wasn't as good before he got hurt. Previous [to Indiana], he wasn't playing unbelievably, either."
Although Oladipo made the All-Star team in 2018 and 2019, the combination of him having only one truly great season, the injury and having just one year left on his contract has many scouts and executives skeptical about committing to him on a big deal. "The tricky thing for me with Oladipo is this guy has had a relatively long career and he had one year at an All-NBA level and that's really the only All-Star-level [year he's had]," an Eastern Conference executive said. "Last year, he wasn't as good before he got hurt. Previous [to Indiana], he wasn't playing unbelievably, either."
The Pacers’ offseason is more complicated than it seems on the surface, and it all starts with Oladipo. In a simple world, they could just sign Oladipo to a contract extension for whatever amount. The reality is more limiting — the Pacers are capped at offering $25 million a year in an extension, a 20 percent raise on the $21 million he’s due this season. Over four seasons, that’s still quite a deal — over $100 million, and one that would pay Oladipo until he’s 32.
In some ways, this limitation makes life easier for the Pacers. Instead of haggling with Oladipo over whether he’s a max player or not, they can throw their hands up and say the rules cap them at $25 million. It’s a fair offer, too, considering the injury concerns with Oladipo and the questions about paying him into his 30s. But in some ways, it makes life more difficult, too. If Oladipo decides he wants to bet on himself this coming season in the hope that he can get a max deal (four years, $150 million) and choose his destination, the Pacers are powerless to prevent it. The 2021 free-agent market will be flush with cash, too, so Oladipo will not lack for suitors.
So if they can’t get an extension done, they may be in a position where it makes sense to trade him … except his trade value is at a low ebb right now because teams didn’t get a long look at him post-injury. If they can get an extension done it’s all good, but if not they have a problem.
Well, let’s start with Oladipo because this is a significant fork in the road for the franchise. They had some talks last fall before the season but shelved discussions until the summer — which is code for ‘we want more’ from Oladipo’s side. It’s difficult for me to imagine the Pacers going into the 2020-21 season without either an extension or trade for Oladipo. Fans will be thinking here’s the Paul George situation all over again, and since Indy is not a destination for free agents, the Pacers can’t let Oladipo walk for anything next summer.
Opposing teams are keeping an eye on the situation in Indy because the club will likely have to commit significant money to Victor Oladipo in the summer of 2021 if it wants to keep him. The Pacers will be able to exceed the cap to sign Oladipo. But it would take a significant financial commitment from Indy to keep the foursome of Oladipo, Sabonis, Brogdon and Turner intact.
ESPN reported that the Pacers and Oladipo had talks about an extension before the season but concluded it was best to table the talks. Per SNY sources, at one point in the extension talk between the club and Oladipo, the idea of a four-year extension for around $80 million was broached. Discussions about an extension didn't progress much from there, sources said.
Could the Heat land another – the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo or Pacers’ Victor Oladipo – in 2021 free agency? Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald: Miami wants to preserve max cap space that summer for a run at Giannis Antetokounmpo or, secondarily, a few other targets including Victor Oladipo.
Westbrook, however, isn't the only one whose contract will expire after the 2016-17 season. New Thunder guard Victor Oladipo will be a free agent, too, and he's reportedly seeking the maximum salary, sources told ESPN's Zach Lowe. Under the projected 2017 salary cap ($102 million), Oladipo's salary would jump to a little under $24 million in 2017-18 if he were to receive a maximum extension.
