With the Knicks and Raptors striking their first impactful trade of the season, other teams in the league are starting to make moves. Teams that have fallen far short of expectations are selling off their immediate power and considering rebuilding, while those that have exceeded expectations or seen flaws in the championship are looking for reinforcements in the market to close the holes. What many people didn't expect was that the Rockets actually became a buyer in the trade market, and as a team that has been rotten for three years in a row, the Rockets have played far beyond expectations this season, and they are currently in 9th place in the West, with hopes of breaking into the playoffs. 9.45 million, back to the Rockets, the future is not clear, and your career is in jeopardy.
Seeing the hope of the playoffs, the Rockets management didn't want to chill the hearts of young people, their strategy this season has become to work hard to strengthen and impact the playoff spots, for this reason, the Rockets have some plans to trade reinforcements, and their core bargaining chip is Victor Oladipo. According to a report from NBA reporter Barrett, sources revealed that the Rockets hope to trade Oladipo's contract for a veteran with playoff experience. According to the report, when Rockets management was pleasantly surprised to find a chance to compete for a playoff spot in the West, they would remain aggressive and competitive in the trade market, and the Rockets would not send any young core players to that end.
The idea of the Rockets is right, and it is also right not to send away young players, because the key to their counterattack is to build on the performance of young players, and this is the key to the Rockets' continued improvement in the future. The most critical thing is that once the Rockets get young people into trade rumors, it will inevitably affect their mentality and affect their performance on the court, which is something that the Rockets management must try to avoid. But then again, Oladipo is definitely going to fall victim. As a player who had previously played briefly for the Rockets, Oladipo's return to Houston was somewhat unexpected. It stands to reason that the Rockets' lineup has been decided, and they have no intention of changing anything before the start of the season, however, the domestic violence scandal of Kevin Porter Jr. forced the Rockets to make changes.
Eventually, Porter Jr. was sent to the Thunder, then waived by the Thunder, and Oladipo returned to the Rockets. Obviously, Oladipo is not in the Rockets' future plans, and they didn't think about giving him a chance to play when they got Oladipo. Now that the overall chemistry of the Rockets is excellent, there is no need for them to put Oladipo into the rotation, on the one hand, they need to avoid destroying the chemistry, on the other hand, Oladipo will not be able to let the Rockets see any hope in the future, not to mention that his injury is always a hidden danger, and Oladipo's $9.45 million contract this season is the last year, and it is the best thing for the Rockets to use his contract to reinforce.
In fact, the Rockets used Oladipo's contract to trade in the market to strengthen the roster, which was an idea that the Rockets had for a long time. A month and a half ago, NBA reporter Scott revealed that the Rockets want to use the contracts of Oladipo, Landale, and Jeff Green to package for veterans, or instant combat power. As the Rockets' record becomes more stable, their idea of reinforcement is clearer, and Oladipo is the core trade chip of the Rockets. In a way, Oladipo's departure from the Rockets is basically a foregone conclusion. On the one hand, Oladipo is not in the Rockets' future plans, and on the other hand, the Rockets do not want to waste this nearly $10 million salary space, and once the season is over, Oladipo is bound to leave Houston as a free agent again.
From Oladipo's point of view, there has been a crisis in his career. As an All-Star guard who has been selected to the All-NBA and All-Defensive Team, injuries have become the killer that destroyed Oladipo. At the age of 31, Oladipo should have been at the peak of his career, but unfortunately, he only averaged 10.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game this past season, shooting a measly 39.7% from the field. Oladipo has not played this season due to injury, and no one knows for sure when he will return and which team he will make his debut.
Truth be told, despite being only 31 years old, Oladipo's career is indeed in jeopardy as it is now. After two major injuries in his career, Oladipo has almost nothing to do with the previous him. Regardless of the fact that many players can play until they are over 35, can Oladipo's career continue to that stage? He's a player who relies on breakouts and explosiveness, and he relies more on talent defensively, but now that Oladipo has left due to injury, his value is getting lower and lower, and the likelihood of staying in the league for a long time is getting less and less.