Victor Oladipo will miss the Miami Heat’s weekend road games at the Cleveland Cavaliers and Charlotte Hornets.
The Miami Heat have been tight-lipped about the knee injury Oladipo suffered in their April 8 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Shortly after the injury, Spoelstra declined to answer whether the former No. 2 overall pick would play this season.
A healthy Oladipo represents the only chance the Heat have of making noise in the playoffs this year. Goran Dragic — who was the Heat’s third-best player in the Bubble last year — has had difficulty getting to the rim. Tyler Herro has shot just 34 percent from 3 after making 39 percent of his 3-point attempts his rookie year. If Oladipo returns, he’d cover up those flaws.
Another complicating factor is Oladipo’s impending free agency. He turned down a two-year, $45 million contract extension with the Houston Rockets in February.
If Oladipo doesn’t play again, it’s hard to see a team offering him that much money. Other teams may think that his body is breaking down at just 28 years old. Remember, Oladipo suffered a ruptured quad tendon in January 2019, an injury that kept him out for an entire calendar year.