Oddsmakers See Oladipo Trade to Mavs
DALLAS - It’s an open secret that Victor Oladipo has been pondering an escape from the Indiana Pacers, and we’ve written often about a possible connection in trade with the Dallas Mavericks.
Is Dallas a possible home for Oladipo? If he is traded, oddsmakers see the Mavs not just as “possible,” but “probable.”
It’s a crowded field, as no team has longer than 5/1 odds. But there are the Mavs, perched right on top of the list ...
Victor Oladipo next team if traded (per SportsBetting.ag)
Dallas Mavericks +300
New York Knicks +425
Brooklyn Nets +450
Chicago Bulls +475
Miami Heat +475
Philadelphia 76ers +500
Toronto Raptors +500
We sometimes forget that even in an NBA in which the agents sort of run things, a player's existing employer does have a voice. In the case of Oladipo, the voice belongs to Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard, who obviously wishes to retain his best player.
"Victor and I have a good dialogue," Pritchard told reporters after the Pacers were once again ousted early in the NBA Playoffs, once again via a sweep ... this time with Oladipo's level of commitment in question.
The two-time All-Star guard is entering the final year of his deal and while he could come to terms on a four-year extension with the Pacers before 2020-21 starts, indications are he will wait to make any commitments until he is unrestricted next summer.
"I'm not really worried about that right now," he said. "I'm just focused on making sure I get my knee right, get fully strong, get my health where it needs to be. I'll worry about all that when the time comes."
In the meantime, the end of this season for Oladipo was shrouded in some controversy because he was non-committal to joining his teammates in the Orlando bubble until the last minute ... and then came another sweep.
READ MORE: Giannis To Mavs 'Has A Chance,' Predicts NBA Analyst
Logic suggests that eventually, Oladipo, who is entering his eighth season with his third different team but has never advanced to the second round of the playoffs, would like to toil for a contender.
"Like Dallas?'' we naturally ask?
Like Indy, Pritchard naturally answers.
"I'm hopeful that we can create an environment that he feels good about, that he feels like he can win," Pritchard said. "He's been pretty consistent in saying the most important for him is that he can win. I believe we can have a team that can do some good things in the playoffs."
READ MORE: Mavs NBA Rumor Donuts: 'Flood Of Deals Expected'
READ MORE: Why A Buddy Hield NBA Draft Trade Makes Mavs Sense
Oladipo has been a 23-points-per-game scorer in the NBA and like others we've speculated about in this space, would be a fine member of a Big 3 teaming with Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. In some of the Mavs' explorations of this sort of acquisition, it'll be about a "Nuclear Winter'' - a team tired of paying big money to a player with the group going nowhere.
And oddsmakers think of Oladipo is going anywhere ... he's going to Dallas.
