What to Make of Thunder Trading for Victor Oladipo

On Friday, the first day of the NBA Free Agency, Sam Presti wasn’t going to allow the Oklahoma City Thunder to pass up an opportunity to collect more assets. To help out the Miami Heat, the Thunder traded for Victor Oladipo in return for draft capital, while sending nothing out and creating a trade exception, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Being a former Thunder, Oladipo has history with the Thunder’s front office, as he played the 2016-17 season with the Thunder. That season was foreign territory for Oklahoma City fans, as it was the first season post-Kevin Durant, and it was also Russell Westbrook’s MVP season. Needless to say, Oladipo had a fun stretch of basketball that’s more than memorable for Thunder fans.

Oladipo also played a part in the transition to attempting to contend again, as the Thunder used Oladipo alongside Domantas Sabonis to acquire Paul George.

So, Oladipo has some history in Oklahoma City, and now the two sides are reunited, for now. The Thunder are in a current roster crunch, and they now have 16 guaranteed contracts ahead of training camp.

Where things get tricky with the pairing is with Oladipo’s injury. In the first round of the playoffs, he went down with a torn patellar tendon in his left knee. This injury should be familiar to Thunder fans, as it’s the same injury Andre Roberson suffered in early 2018, though Roberson’s was ruptured, not torn.

Following the injury, the 6-foot-4 guard was given six months until he could return to basketball activities. From april, this would give Oladipo the entirety of the offseason to heal and rehab, bringing him back to action just in time for the season to roll around.

However, with the injury, the 31-year-old will not be able to properly compete for a roster spot with the Thunder, and his fate will likely rely on the Thunder’s valuation of other players on the squad.

This isn’t the only injury Oladipo has suffered, as his career after being traded from the Thunder has been injury riddled and the compilation of injuries has derailed the once All-Star’s career. There's no guarantee the former All-Star makes a full guarantee, as he's been through a plethora of lower body injuries.
Even if the Thunder don’t retain Oladipo through the season, they still made a good trade. During a rebuild, teams will have excess salary cap to use naturally, and teams spend it differently. Presti absorbs salaries that opposing teams want to get rid of in return for draft capital, which has helped him build a notorious warchest of picks. By taking on Oladipo’s $9.45 million contract, Presti was able to add more draft capital to his stash.

The Thunder’s front office is fond of Oladipo and the two sides have a good relationship, and that could factor into some decisions Presti will be making come training camp ahead of the season.

Either way, this pairing benefits both involved parties as Presti uses his open salary cap space to bring in more assets and Oladipo gets his contract and potentially a supportive front office and staff through his rehab process.

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