The Victor Oladipo experiment hasn't gone as planned for the Houston Rockets and he appears to be headed elsewhere ahead of the NBA trade deadline on Thursday. With Oladipo likely on his way out, the Chicago Bulls are emerging as a surprise suitor for him, per the Action Network's Matt Moore.
When the Rockets acquired Oladipo in the four-team trade that sent James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets, Houston thought they were getting the All-Star version of Oladipo. While Oladipo hasn't performed terribly in his short stay with the Rockets, things haven't exactly panned out well alongside John Wall.
Houston originally let it be known that they weren't going to part ways with Oladipo for a cheap price and would let him walk in free agency if it came to it. Now, the Rockets could find themselves doing a deal with the Bulls that includes Lauri Markkanen.
Markkanen was a former first-round pick of Chicago in the 2017 NBA Draft out of Arizona. The stretch four from Finland has failed to live up to expectations in his first four seasons as he's poised to hit free agency after the 2020-2021 season. Injuries have been a large reason why Markkanen hasn't reached his full potential yet.
A change of scenery could be exactly what Markkanen needs and swapping him for Oladipo wouldn't be an awful move for both sides, especially if either team can convince the player they acquire to re-sign in the offseason.
Even though it's been known that Victor Oladipo prefers the Miami Heat or other teams as a long-term landing spot, the Bulls are a team to watch for since they have their own young asset up for trade.
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