TRADE: Miami Heat Send 2-Time All-Star To Thunder

The Miami Heat have made an intriguing move as free agency continues, offloading former two-time All-Star guard Victor Oladipo to the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

Which begs the question: 

What is happening in Miami rn pic.twitter.com/9c5kCG4ipD

— RapidReacts (@RapidReacts) July 1, 2023

Those with inquiring minds are wondering why the Heat would be dumping Oladipo's contract plus a couple of future second-round draft picks? It's fairly obvious, as Miami now has a $9.45 million trade exception from the deal, and are obviously up to something else in the near future. 

The alternative would have been to stretch-and-waive Oladipo, which would have cost them a $3M+ tax hit in each of next three years. He had just picked up his player option for next season.

The 31-year-old has been injury-riddled for years now, managing to play no more than 42 games in a season since 2018 (one of his two All-Star years with the Indiana Pacers). 

With the Heat this past season, he averaged 10.7 points, 3.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.4 steals in about 26 minutes mostly off the bench in 42 games. But his injury troubles returned in the first round of the playoffs, when he tore the patellar tendon in his left knee. 

It'll be his second time with the Thunder; he spent the 2016-17 season there. 

Photo: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports