By now, its known that the Houston Rockets are looking to pull off a Victor Oladipo trade ahead of the March 25 deadline. Acquired in the James Harden blockbuster back in January, Oladipo is an impending free agent and just recently turned down an extension offer from Houston.
With the Rockets in the midst of a 16-game losing streak, general manager Rafael Stone must start anew with a complete rebuild. Trading a 20-point per game scorer in Oladipo would net Houston the most in a trade.
As for the Golden State Warriors, they are expected to be active ahead of the NBA trade deadline. Reports suggest that their ownership group is willing to spend money. General manager Bob Myers has already said he’s going to be proactive. Something will happen in San Francisco over the next week-plus.
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Victor Oladipo trade rumors hit overdrive
Most recently, reports suggested that the Warriors were interested in acquiring Oladipo. That comes on the heels of the All-Star two-guard being linked to both the New York Knicks and Miami Heat back east.
Oladipo, 28, is averaging 20.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists on an inefficient 38% shooting from the field. However, he plays plus-level defense and can run things on offense. That’s no small thing for contending teams. Interest in a Victor Oladipo trade is also magnified by the fact that he could very well come cheap.
Any team looking to acquire Oladipo would be taking a risk. He’s slated to be one of the top free agents on the market this summer. How much would a team like the Warriors be willing to pay for a potential rental? It’s a major backstory here. A potential fit with the Warriors is also in question.
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Would a Victor Oladipo trade make sense for the Golden State Warriors?
Yes and no. We’re not trying to be cute here. There’s a lot that goes into coming to a determination. First off, the Warriors are not going to be able to make a play for Oladipo during free agency. They are capped out and over the luxury tax. Acquiring him now would enable Golden State to re-sign Oladipo once the market opens up should he be a fit with Stephen Curry in the backcourt.
The Warriors need a ball-handler behind Curry. It’s also become apparent that they must find another scorer behind Andrew Wiggins when Curry is out of the game. Recently, Steve Kerr has been experimenting with the backcourt tandem of Nico Mannion and Jordan Poole. That’s a no-go.
At least for the remainder of this season, a Victor Oladipo trade would give the Warriors three capable scorers to go with Curry and Wiggins. If Golden State views this as a long-term marriage, it would make even more sense.
Under that scenario, Oladipo takes over at the two-guard spot with Klay Thompson moving to the three once he returns from a two-year absence. The team could then even flip Wiggins’ contract with either Wiseman and/or the Wolves’ first-round pick during the summer to acquire another true star.
On the other hand, trading for Oladipo could be risky. What if he’s not a fit with Stephen Curry? Perhaps, he’s offered a max-contract in free agency. That’s unlikely to be something the Warriors match. Yeah, there’s a lot of layers to this.
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How a Victor Oladipo trade to the Golden State Warriors would look
It’s already being noted that the Warriors are not parting with either rookie No. 2 pick James Wiseman or the valuable future Minnesota Timberwolves selection they acquired in last year’s blockbuster D’Angelo Russell for Andrew Wiggins trade unless they acquire a generational talent. That would include someone like Joel Embiid and Bradley Beal, neither of whom are available right now.
Obviously, Oladipo doesn’t fit into this category. It complicates things as it relates to a potential trade given that the Warriors already dealt their first-round pick in 2021 to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Kelly Oubre. It’s in this that we look at what a potential Victor Oldipo trade to the Warriors might look like.
- Warriors get: Victor Oladipo, Ben McLemore
- Rockets get: Kelly Oubre Jr., Jordan Poole, Brad Wanamaker, Marquese Chriss, second-round pick
Recent reports indicating that Oladipo could be had on the cheap also complicates things a bit further. Golden State’s unwillingness to part with Wiseman or that above-mentioned Timberwolves selection adds another layer to this.
So, how do the two teams get together? As convoluted as it might be, Houston would be netting a tremendous asset in the 25-year-old Oubre.
The three-and-D wing is still young enough to take part in the Rockets’ mass rebuild should he re-sign this summer. Houston could also potentially flip him for a first-round pick ahead of the trade deadline. Add in an impressive youngster in former first-round pick Jordan Poole and a second-round selection, and this could make sense for the Rockets.
The larger question here is whether Golden State would even consider this hypothetical Victor Oladipo trade. An argument could be made that Oubre is playing better this season than his All-Star counterpart. Poole also boasts a nice amount of upside. The idea here from the Warriors’ perspective is holding out hope that Oladipo returns to pre-injury levels. If so, this trade would be a coup moving forward.