Former Pacers All-Star Takes Unorthodox Route to NBA Comeback

Dec 31, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis (11) and guard Victor Oladipo (4) share a laugh during warm ups before the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first quarter at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Former Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo took another step towards his return to the NBA, signing into the G League player pool, per Jake Fischer of the Stein Line.

Oladipo played for the Pacers from the 2017-18 season until the 2020-21 season, playing 139 games for Indiana. He averaged 20.6 points per game, and made his only two All-Star appearances with the Pacers. He has also featured for the Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets and Miami Heat.

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"Victor Oladipo has signed into the G League player pool," wrote Fischer. "The former two-time NBA All-Star was most recently playing for the Guangzhou Loong Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association, appearing in NBA preseason games this October."

Sources: Victor Oladipo has signed into the G League player pool. The former two-time NBA All-Star was most recently playing for the Guangzhou Loong Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association, appearing in NBA preseason games this October.

— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) November 7, 2025

This means any G League team can sign the two-time All-Star. If signed, Oladipo will have the duration of the G League season — which ends in April — to try and earn a call up to an NBA team.

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Oladipo has been hard at work in his attempts to return to the NBA since the summer, working out in Las Vegas with NBA personnel in attendance. Oladipo last featured for the Miami Heat in the 2022-23 season and was under contract for 2023-24, but missed the entirety of the season with injury — a recurring theme throughout his 10-year NBA career..

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The 33-year-old is currently with the Guangzhou Loong-Lions in the CBA, and played two preseason games against the Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio Spurs during the preseason in October.

The Loong-Lions suffered heavy losses in both games against their NBA opponents, however Oladipo managed solid performances in both games.

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The first of the two games came against the Spurs on Oct. 6, where he scored 20 points while recording five rebounds, three assists and five steals in 29 minutes of gametime. Against the Clippers three days later, Oladipo led all scorers with 24 points, recording five assists and two steals.

Oladipo will look to produce more strong showings against NBA hopefuls if a G League team picks him up in order to make his long-awaited return to the highest level.

For more news and notes on the Indiana Pacers, visit Indiana Pacers on SI.