Victor Oladipo Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Simmons, Oladipo, Nash, Knicks

March 6th, 2022 at 5:30pm CST by JD Shaw

Nets star Ben Simmons was seen taking shots at the team’s practice on Saturday, but there appears to be no change in his return timetable, Peter Botte of the New York Post writes. General manager Sean Marks said on Thursday he believes the best-case scenario is Simmons returning within two weeks.

“He’s still in the same boat that Sean talked about, still his individual work and getting treatment at the same time, so nothing’s changed,” assistant coach Jacque Vaughn said, according to Botte.

Simmons was acquired by the Nets in a deal involving disgruntled superstar James Harden nearly one month ago. He last played on June 20 — when the Sixers were eliminated by the Hawks in the playoffs.

There’s more from the Eastern Conference tonight:

Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel examines whether Victor Oladipo will back up Kyle Lowry at point guard for the Heat. Miami is listing Oladipo as questionable to make his season debut on Monday against Houston, but the expectation is that he’ll play. The team used him at point guard when it acquired him from the Rockets last season.
Nets coach Steve Nash said he didn’t have any COVID-19 symptoms while in the league’s health and safety protocols, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. Nash exited protocols on Saturday and coached his first game back on Sunday. Brooklyn wound up losing its fourth straight game, dropping a 120-126 road contest to Boston.
The Knicks are continuing to search for answers at point guard, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. New York has mostly played without Derrick Rose due to injury, but former All-Star Kemba Walker recently decided to shut it down after receiving inconsistent minutes. The team has also given Alec Burks and Immanuel Quickley heavy minutes. It trails the Hawks by six games for the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Southeast Notes: Oladipo, Porzingis, Beal, Harrell

March 6th, 2022 at 10:40am CST by Arthur Hill

Victor Oladipo could make his season debut Monday night and Heat players are excited about what he can contribute, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Oladipo hasn’t played since reinjuring the quadriceps tendon in his right knee shortly after being acquired in a trade last season. Coach Erik Spoelstra said he’ll have to get final approval from trainers before deciding whether to use Oladipo on Monday, but added that “he’s close.”

“He looks great,” Caleb Martin said of Oladipo, who has been practicing with the G League team and working out with reserves and assistant coaches. “He’s going to add a huge boost to us. Adding a player of his caliber to our team is always going to be a positive. He’s too good. He’s going to find his way. We’re all going to adjust to him and figure out how we look with him in it. He will find his way. We will adjust to him. He can’t do anything but make us a lot better. That’s the scary thing about it.”

Keeping Oladipo beyond this season could be difficult, Jackson notes. The Heat will own his Bird rights after giving him a one-year, minimum-salary contract this season, but they may not have much to offer if they’re focused on staying out of luxury tax territory. Jackson states that if they re-sign Martin to a deal in the $8MM range and keep the rest of the roster intact, that would only leave about $4-$5MM for Oladipo.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Kristaps Porzingis could make his debut with the Wizards today, tweets Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Porzingis, who has been sidelined with knee soreness, was a full participant in practice Saturday for the first time since last month’s trade and will be evaluated before the game to make sure he’s ready to play, Hughes adds.
Executives and agents that Hughes has talked to believe Bradley Beal would definitely accept a maximum-salary offer from the Wizards this summer (video link). Hughes notes that Beal can make about $60MM more in a new five-year deal with Washington than he could by accepting a four-year contract with another team. Beal indicated this week that he’s leaning toward re-signing with the Wizards.
Appearing on the QC Hornets’ Nest podcast, Montrezl Harrell said he understands that being traded is part of the business of the NBA. The Hornets center was acquired from the Wizards at the deadline, marking the third trade of his career and the second in six months.

Victor Oladipo Could Make Season Debut On Monday

March 3rd, 2022 at 8:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Victor Oladipo is expected to make his season debut for the Heat against Houston on Monday, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

Oladipo has been rehabbing from quad tendon surgery and has only played four games with Miami since being acquired last March from the Rockets. He recently participated in three practices with the G League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Oladipo, who will likely play backup at point guard behind Kyle Lowry, was signed to a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal last offseason and will re-enter the free agent market this summer.

Oladipo played 33 games last season with Indiana, Houston and Miami, averaging 19.8 points on 41% shooting. His last healthy season was the 2017/18 campaign, when he averaged a career-high 23.1 points and 2.4 steals in 75 games (34.0 MPG). He also shot 47.7% from the floor and 37.1% from deep that season.

Eastern Notes: Harden, Sixers, J. Smith, Oladipo, Bucks

March 3rd, 2022 at 8:32am CST by Luke Adams

James Harden‘s effort level came under scrutiny during his final games in Brooklyn, but he appears more motivated to keep his foot on the gas pedal for his new team. As Tim Bontemps of ESPN writes, Harden raved about the environment in Wells Fargo Center on Thursday after making his home debut with the Sixers, calling it “exciting” to play in front of the Philadelphia fans.

“The love, the fans, it feels like home. Just the love, the support, man, from looking around, hearing, ‘We love you, James,'” Harden said. “That right there makes me go out and play harder, and I just wanted to do whatever it takes to get the win.”

While the Sixers have looked great since Harden made his debut last Friday, two of their three wins have come against a reeling Knicks team. With matchups against Cleveland, Miami, Chicago, and Brooklyn up next on the schedule, the 76ers will face a tougher test as they look to continue developing chemistry and push for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

“Every game for us is gonna be tough,” Harden said, per Bontemps. “We’re new, we’re fairly new, we’re still learning each other. Every game is going to be a learning experience for us, and we’ve got to just find ways to continue to chip away, continue to get better, win or lose. Obviously it’s better when you win to figure it out, but it’s going to be great tests for us and we’re really looking forward to it.”

Here’s more from around the East:

Pacers center Jalen Smith was fined $20K by the NBA for “directing profane language toward a game official,” the league announced on Wednesday. Smith was ejected from the game as a result of the incident, which took place during the third quarter of Indiana’s loss to Orlando on Monday.
Heat guard Victor Oladipo has returned to the team after taking part in three practices this week with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s G League affiliate, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The Heat still haven’t provided an update on Oladipo’s potential season debut, but Chiang confirms that the club is hoping he’ll be able to play within the next couple weeks, as ESPN reported over the weekend.
After coming out of the trade deadline with three open roster spots, the Bucks filled two of them with former Nets, and both DeAndre’ Bembry and Jevon Carter have given Milwaukee a boost with their intensity and versatility on defense, says Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “It’s fun, man,” Carter said after Monday’s game. “I was telling the guys … I haven’t played this hard in I don’t know how long. … Just being out there playing with a team that’s locked in defensively is just, for me, it’s just fun to be a part of, honestly. That’s really all I can say, I’m just having fun.”

Eastern Notes: Kuzma, Oladipo, Morris, Bridges, Irving

February 27th, 2022 at 7:15pm CST by JD Shaw

The Wizards may have found something special in Kyle Kuzma, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes. Kuzma is having a career-best season with Washington so far, averaging 17.0 points and 8.8 rebounds in 33.5 minutes per game.

“He’s shown a steady progression where it seems like every month he’s getting better. He’s playing with more confidence,” head coach Wes Unseld Jr. said.

According to Hughes, Kuzma has averaged 21.5 points and 9.9 rebounds per game since December 22, raising his play on both ends. Washington acquired the 26-year-old in a trade involving star guard Russell Westbrook back in July.

Here are some other notes from the Eastern Conference:

The potential returns of Victor Oladipo and Markieff Morris offer intrigue for the Heat, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. Oladipo hasn’t played this season, while Morris hasn’t played in over three months. Miami owns the best record in the East (40-21) despite their absences. “I just love to see everybody try to get healthy and do what they love to do, what they’ve been doing their entire life,” Jimmy Butler said of the duo. “The fact that they’ve been out for a little bit, but still are coming in smiling and working, I think that’s the most important thing. Yeah, they want to get back. Yeah, we want them back. But in due time, they will be back and we’ll be even better.”
Hornets forward Miles Bridges likely would’ve accepted the team’s $60MM extension offer last fall if it wasn’t for his agents, as relayed by Rohan Nadkarni of Sports Illustrated. Bridges, who is averaging 19.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game this season, will likely be in line for a far more lucrative contract as a restricted free agent. “If it wasn’t for them I probably would’ve taken the deal,” Bridges said of his agents. “They got more confidence in me than I have sometimes.”
New York City will lift its “Key2NYC” vaccine mandate on March 7, but the private sector mandate still restricts Nets star Kyrie Irving from playing in home games, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. The private sector mandate could be dropped eventually, but for now, Irving still can’t play in New York.

Eastern Notes: Oladipo, Simmons, Durant, Porzingis, LaVine

February 26th, 2022 at 3:31pm CST by JD Shaw

Heat guard Victor Oladipo is hoping to make his season debut within the next two weeks, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Oladipo has been rehabbing from quad tendon surgery and has only played four games with Miami since being acquired 11 months ago.

With Oladipo’s season debut inching closer, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel examines how the veteran guard could fit in the Heat’s rotation. Oladipo will likely play backup point guard behind Kyle Lowry. The Heat could also finish games with him, sporting a defensive-minded lineup of Lowry, Oladipo, Jimmy Butler, P.J. Tucker and Bam Adebayo.

Oladipo played 33 games last season with Indiana, Houston and Miami, averaging 19.8 points on 41% shooting. His last healthy season was the 2017/18 campaign, when he averaged a career-high 23.1 points and 2.4 steals per game. He also shot 48% from the floor and 37% from deep that season.

Here are some other notes from the East:

Nets superstar Kevin Durant (sprained MCL) is also moving closer to a return, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com writes. “Every day closer,” head coach Steve Nash said. “We’ll see. I expect in the next week he’ll be back for sure. It could be quick; it could be the whole week barring any setbacks.” While Durant is returning soon, Ben Simmons‘ timetable remains unclear. “He’s not gone to high intensity yet,” Nash said. “Just ramping him up still.”
Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington poses five questions for the Wizards now that the All-Star break has passed. Among the topics Hughes addresses is Kristaps Porzingis‘ potential role, specifically how much he’ll play. The 26-year-old has only appeared in 34 games this season due to injuries.
Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report conducted a Q&A with Bulls star Zach LaVine, covering his season, team and ambitions. LaVine has averaged 24.5 points per game and will become a free agent this summer. “For me, it’s not even about my contract [situation]”, he said. “I’m a competitor. I want to go to the playoffs and play on the big stage. Contract, everything, that all comes. But I look at it day by day. You can’t get to April in a day. You’re gonna have to play and compete each and every day to get there, and then once the playoffs come, we got to go do our thing. You know I’m really excited. I’m really excited to be on that stage, because I haven’t been there yet.”

Injury Updates: Oladipo, Morris, Nets, Brooks, Hampton

February 25th, 2022 at 11:08am CST by Luke Adams

Heat guard Victor Oladipo (knee) and forward Markieff Morris (neck) traveled with the team to New York, but won’t play in Friday’s game vs. the Knicks and still don’t have timelines for their respective returns, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

“They were able to do a lot (in Thursday’s practice),” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, per Chiang. “I’m not going to give you all the details. There’s nothing that’s imminent right now. This is all just part of the process. But it was good to have the entire group here at practice and getting after it, and getting a little bit of the rust off by competing and try to get ready for the stretch run.”

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Nets head coach Steve Nash said it’s possible Kevin Durant (knee) and/or Goran Dragic could play as soon as Saturday, but said it’s more likely to happen at some point next week, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Nash expressed optimism that both players will be active beginning either Monday vs. Toronto, Tuesday in Toronto, or Thursday vs. Miami.
Dillon Brooks‘ recovery from a left ankle injury is “progressing well,” per Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins (Twitter link via Grizzly Bear Blues). A previous report stated that Brooks is expected to be back at some point in early March, and that timeline hasn’t changed.
Magic guard R.J. Hampton had been expected to return to action on Friday night after missing 14 games due to an MCL sprain and bone bruise in his left knee. However, Hampton sprained his left ankle during Friday’s shootaround and is now questionable to play, tweets Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel.

Victor Oladipo Practicing, Return Date Still Uncertain

February 17th, 2022 at 8:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Victor Oladipo has appeared in only four games with the Heat since being acquired from Houston last season at the trade deadline and then re-signing with Miami last summer.

Oladipo appears to be inching closer to his season debut. He’s been practicing this week in five-on-five situations with the team’s G League affiliate, the Sioux City Skyforce, according to The Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang.

“It feels good to be able to play the game I love,” Oladipo told Nick Robinson of the G League team’s website following Wednesday’s practice. “You go through stuff in life, and you have to battle. I’ve gone through this twice, so I know how to prep mentally. But each time is new, and those challenges arise, and you have to adapt.”

Oladipo underwent another surgery last May to repair the quadriceps tendon in his right knee. Once considered one of the prime free agents on last year’s market, Oladipo re-signed with the Heat on a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal. Miami retained Bird Rights on the former All-Star guard.

He admits it’s been a trying situation to get back on the court.

“It is a whirlwind of emotions,” he said. “As a competitor, you want to play a certain way but it’s about winning the small battles and I won that (Wednesday). I am just thankful to keep building.”

There’s still no clarity about when Oladipo might suit up again. Coach Erik Spoelstra said on Thursday that “there is no imminent date or announcement” regarding Oladipo, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets.

It’s also uncertain where Oladipo would slot in to the rotation once he’s ready to play. Presumably, reserves such as Gabe Vincent, Max Strus or Caleb Martin could see their playing time reduced.

Southeast Notes: Hawks, Spoelstra, Oladipo, Bertans

February 5th, 2022 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Hawks have won eight of their last 10 games, but they still face an uphill battle to avoid the play-in tournament because the first half of their season was such a disaster, writes Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Atlanta looked ready to establish itself among the Eastern contenders after reaching the conference finals last season, but a rough start left the team with a huge hole to climb out of. Even after the recent hot streak, the Hawks are in 10th place, four games out of the sixth spot and a chance to skip the play-in competition.

“We did it to ourselves,” Kevin Huerter said. “We know it’s a grind. We knew two weeks ago when we were eight games under .500 that it was going to take a lot to get ourselves back in the mix. It feels like we’ve only done half the job so far. Half the job is winning seven straight. It’s a good feeling to have won seven straight. I think, for us, the feeling is better knowing that we’re playing better. We’re seeing results that we’ve wanted all year. We have to continue playing like this.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Heat’s victory tonight means the race to be the Eastern Conference coach in the All-Star Game will be determined by Sunday’s game in Chicago, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. If the Bulls defeat the Sixers, they will be a half game better at the cutoff point and Billy Donovan will coach the game. If Chicago loses, the Heat will have the East’s best record at 34-20 and Erik Spoelstra will be the Eastern representative for the second time.
Heat guard Victor Oladipo is working out several times a day as he tries to come back from last May’s surgery on his right quadriceps tendon, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Oladipo participated in a 2-on-2 session with teammates after this morning’s shootaround and then shot extensively before the start of tonight’s game.
Bijan Todd of NBC Sports Washington looks at potential destinations for Wizards forward Davis Bertans, who has been a disappointment since signing a five-year, $80MM deal. Todd notes that the Thunder and Pistons have the cap room to take on Bertans’ contract, while the Celtics and Trail Blazers may also be possibilities.

Southeast Notes: Dinwiddie, Hornets, Oladipo, Young

February 1st, 2022 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Within a larger story on the Clippers this week, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer suggested that the Wizards want to trade Spencer Dinwiddie in part because “his teammates don’t want him there.” It’s an eyebrow-raising claim that’s presented as an aside and isn’t attributed to sources, so it’s unclear how seriously we should take it.

There have perhaps been some recent hints that Dinwiddie’s teammates in D.C. haven’t fully embraced him. As we relayed over the weekend, the veteran point guard stated after Saturday’s game that his attempt to be a vocal leader in the locker room earlier in the season “wasn’t necessarily welcomed.”

Asked on Monday about those comments, Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. said he was unsure whether they were directed at the coaching staff or Dinwiddie’s teammates, per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Unseld, who said he thinks everyone in the locker room gets along, said that even if the staff doesn’t implement a player’s suggestions, that doesn’t mean those suggestions were “unwelcomed.”

“I think I’ve been open from Day 1 to suggestions from our guys, vets that have been around,” Unseld said. “I’m not sure who [Dinwiddie’s comments were] pointed to. I don’t know if that was directed at staff or teammates, or I’m not sure who that was pointed to, but I think it’s great. I think the more communication we can have and they can have amongst themselves [the better].”

As we keep an eye on the Dinwiddie situation, here’s more from around the Southeast:

In a column for The Charlotte Observer, Rod Boone argues that the Hornets must make a move at the trade deadline to upgrade their center position. While Boone isn’t advocating for selling the farm, he believes the team would squander a golden opportunity for “significant growth” this season if it stands pat.
As Victor Oladipo inches closer to a return from last year’s quad tendon surgery, his Heat teammates are encouraged by how he has looked in practices, says Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. “I’ve seen enough to know he’s definitely better than he was last year,” Udonis Haslem said last week. “I haven’t seen any limping. I haven’t seen a lack of confidence. I haven’t seen everything so I can’t make a fair assessment. He looks pretty [good] about where he’s headed.”
Hawks guard Trae Young, dealing with a right shoulder contusion, sat out Monday’s game vs. Toronto, but the team is hopeful he won’t miss much – if any – more time. “He tried to go out and warm up and wasn’t feeling good, so we’ll give him these next two days to recover,” head coach Nate McMillan said (Twitter link via Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).