The Houston Rockets finally found a trade partner to offload troubled guard Kevin Porter Jr. The Rockets sent Porter and two second-round draft picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for guard Victor Oladipo and center Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.
The Thunder are getting a 2027 second-round pick from the Minnesota Timberwolves and a 2028 second-round pick via the Milwaukee Bucks, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Porter is the headline of the trade. Houston had been trying to ship him after he received multiple charges for an alleged attack on his girlfriend, Kysre Gondrezick, a former WNBA player, at a New York hotel on Sept. 11.
While Porter’s NBA career remains unclear as he goes through legal battles, Oladipo’s career is in flux following yet another change in scenery.
Oladipo, who starred at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, was the second overall draft pick in 2013 by the Orlando Magic. Once upon a time, he was a third-team All-NBA and first-team All-Defensive player with the Indiana Pacers. However, a torn quad in January 2019 altered his career’s trajectory.
Since then, Oladipo has been traded multiple times and turned down a two-year, $45.2 million extension, only to play on a series of one and two-year deals.
Oladipo played the past three seasons with the Miami Heat. However, after exercising his player option for the 2023-24 season, the Heat traded Oladipo to the Thunder this summer.
Instead of having his second stint in an OKC uniform, Oladipo returns to the Rockets, the team he turned down that two-year extension with back in 2021.
Can Victor Oladipo fit into the Rockets’ plans?
Oladipo’s fit with Houston is questionable. The Rockets hired former Celtics head coach Ime Udoka. The team also signed Fred Van Vleet and Dillon Brooks in free agency this summer. Then, the Rockets drafted Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore this year to join Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr.
Houston is overloaded at guard, having VanVleet, Brooks, Thompson, and Green at the forefront. Not to mention, Oladipo is rehabbing another significant knee injury. He tore his patella tendon in his left knee during Game 3 of the Heat’s first-round playoff series against the Bucks.
The injury sidelined Oladipo for the remainder of the Heat’s run to the NBA Finals. It’s unclear if and when he could get on the court this season. And that could factor into the Rockets’ decision with him.
Houston could stash him away until he is ready and add him to the rotation later in the season. The Rockets may also hold on to him before trying to find a destination to trade him to midseason.
There’s also the possibility Houston buys out his contract, freeing him to find a new home of choice. Depending on where he is in his recovery, Oladipo may not feel it’s beneficial to agree to a buyout now.
The 2023-24 season could be pivotal for the 31-year-old Victor Oladipo. How it plays out depends on the next move by the Rockets and the health of the 6-foot-4 guard.
