The newest member of the Houston Rockets is Victor Oladipo, who came over as part of the wild James Harden trade day via the Indiana Pacers.
Caris LeVert was originally traded to the Rockets, but shortly after he was sent to the Pacers in exchange for Oladipo.
There were questions all offseason regarding Oladipo, who had wanted a contract extension. However, it turns out the former Indiana Hoosier turned down a huge extension in the offseason.
“Victor Oladipo turned down Indiana’s multiyear contract extension starting at $25+ million, per league sources. After Oladipo declined to extend, the Pacers realized he was likely to leave in free agency this offseason,” per Ryan McDonough, a Radio.com sports insider and former Suns general manager.
That is a lot of money for Oladipo to turn down.
With the former Pacers guard destined for free agency, it made the LeVert for Oladipo swap that much easier for the Pacers.
LeVert was playing big minutes for the Nets, and he is under contract through the 2023 season.
For the Rockets, this move was a bit of a head-scratcher. Oladipo has expressed interest in joining the Miami Heat and it's quite possible that he tests the free agency market in the offseason.
No matter what, he has a perfect opportunity to play big minutes and show his worth. For Houston, the contract expires at the end of the year, so if the audition doesn't work out, they can move on and use that money elsewhere.
Will Oladipo get more than $25 million a year in the market? Or will he regret not taking the Pacers' offer while he had a chance?
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