Miami Heat Officially Sign Two-Time NBA All-Star Guard In Free Agency
Reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time in the last three seasons, the Miami Heat continue to prove that they are one of the better teams in the league. Finishing the 2021-22 season with the best record in the East at 53-29, the Heat know they are close to getting back to the NBA Finals.
Their All-Star trio of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry is important to the team’s ultimate outcome in the postseason, but their depth has proven to be equally as important.
On Thursday, Miami officially announced that Victor Oladipo would be returning on a new contract and he will continue to be one of the key players in their bench unit.
Initially agreeing to a one-year, $11 million deal to return to the Heat at the start of free agency, as reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Oladipo and the Heat have restructured their agreement.
According to Anthony Chang of the Miami Herald, Victor Oladipo and the Miami Heat have restructured the terms to a two-year deal worth around $18 million in total. This new deal will give Oladipo about $8.5 million in the first season and the second season of the contract contains a player option.
Oladipo, 30, has battled various injuries over the years since suffering a ruptured right quad tendon in 2019 when he was a member of the Indiana Pacers. Prior to this injury, he had made the All-Star Game in back-to-back seasons and led the league in steals during the 2017-18 season, leading to him being named to the All-NBA and All-Defensive teams.
After being traded to the Heat last season, Oladipo opted to re-sign with Miami on a minimum contract ahead of the 2021-22 season. This past year, he averaged 12.4 points, 3.5 assists and shot 47.9% from the floor, 41.7% from three-point range in 8 regular season games.
Victor Oladipo really started to come into his own during Miami’s postseason run, averaging 10.6 points per game and showing glimpses of his former self on the defensive-end of the floor.
Now returning to the Miami Heat on a two-year deal instead of just a one-year deal, Oladipo will continue to serve as the team’s sixth man as they once again hunt for a championship.
