Oladipo's Letter and Comeback Bid

Victor Oladipo, a two-time All-Star who has been out of the NBA since the 2023-24 season, says he is finally healthy and ready to make a comeback. The 34-year-old guard penned an open letter to the league’s general managers in The Players’ Tribune on Tuesday, asking for an opportunity.

Oladipo’s career has been marked by significant injuries. He ruptured the quadriceps tendon in his right knee in January 2019 and tore the patellar tendon in his left knee in April 2023. He has not played more than 42 games in a season since 2017-18. In his letter, Oladipo wrote, “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.”

To demonstrate his readiness, Oladipo held a private workout for front office personnel in July during the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. He also played part of last season for the G League’s Wisconsin Herd.

“I don’t know how my journey here is going to end,” he wrote. “Maybe a team out there will give me a chance. Maybe no team will. That’s really up to you all. But if you’re in an NBA front office, and you took the time to read this: Thank you from the bottom of my heart. And I can promise you one thing, always, about my basketball story ... from the first page to the last. It’s a love story.”

Oladipo’s Career Record

Oladipo was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft. He was an All-Star with the Indiana Pacers in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Over 504 career games (397 starts) with the Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder, Pacers, Houston Rockets, and Miami Heat, he averaged 16.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.

His last NBA game came in a Heat uniform during the 2023 playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks, after he suffered the torn patellar tendon. In the 2022 playoffs, he scored 23 points in Game 5 against the Atlanta Hawks.

A Case for the Heat

The Miami Heat have one open roster spot—the 15th—and at least one analyst believes they should consider using it on Oladipo. Sports Illustrated argues that the team does not need the old All-Star version of Oladipo, but rather a player who can still defend, handle the ball, and create opportunities for the second unit. The outlet notes that the Heat have already made significant additions this offseason, including Giannis Antetokounmpo and Klay Thompson, but still might benefit from another shot creator.

Oladipo has familiarity with the Heat organization, having played for the team before. The Heat’s coach is Erik Spoelstra, and Bam Adebayo is the captain. The article suggests that signing Oladipo to the 15th roster spot would be a low-risk bet.

Given his injury history and time away from the league, any team signing Oladipo would be taking a chance. But as Oladipo himself put it, he is asking for an opportunity to prove he can still contribute to an NBA locker room.