Why the Philadelphia 76ers should avoid Victor Oladipo.
The Philadelphia 76ers lost out on James Harden. We all know this. You’re on this website, so I know are aware of a lot that goes on with the Sixers and the NBA. Harden wasn’t the only suitable fit for Philadelphia.
I am playing both sides, for the sake of conversation, of the debate that the Sixers should or shouldn’t trade for Victor Oladipo — giving four reasons on both sides. Conventional wisdom showed me that the reasons not to do the deal came quicker to mind.
4 reasons to not trade for Oladipo: Injury history
The first reason to say no to an Oladipo trade is injury history. We know of this all too well following the Sixers and how important it can be. Fans still worry about Joel Embiid’s health today even though he’s about four to five years removed from battling chronic knee and foot injuries. It would only make sense to be worrisome for Victor Oladipo’s right quadricep tendon in his right knee to cause a problem. That could be the deal breaker because who knows what could happen.
Oladipo was riding high in All-Star status when he tore the tendon in late January 2019. It took him around a year to recover, returning in late January 2020 and finally the injury forced him to sit out the NBA bubble to further rehab the nagging injury. Everyone in the NBA relies on their legs, but some more than others. Oladipo is a talented, athletic, quick, strong two-way shooting guard.
His legs are super important to his game because of how he moves well off the ball, stopping on a dime for a pull-up jumper, exploding off the legs for a dunk, and decelerating to finish through contact. A torn quadriceps tendon is serious but a step or two below a torn ACL or Achilles tendon, yet it’s not comforting that the injury plagued him for a little while after. It just may be too much to have worry about another player getting hurt because it happened to them before.
4 reasons to not trade for Oladipo: The Houston Rockets
Now we don’t exactly know why the Sixers lost out on James Harden but we do know that the Houston Rockets had a lot to do with it. You may be thanking me sarcastically because of how obvious that statement is, but let me explain. The Houston Rockets are a reason to not trade for Oladipo because of the rumors of Tillman Fertitta’s pettiness towards Daryl Morey, asking for too much from the Sixers yet again, or the simple disinterest in doing this trade with the Sixers.
The talk on the internet from NBA, Rockets, and Sixers insiders hinted at that the Sixers were unwilling to give up how much Brooklyn gave up for Harden. There’s been speculation that Tyrese Maxey and more draft capital were the deal breakers with Houston. The reasoning for that could be a combination of wanting to get the proper return for Harden and trying to shake the Sixers down because of Morey’s bait and switch from Rockets front office to Sixers front office.
The Rockets could look around the league and it wouldn’t take long for them to find a potential suitor or two for Oladipo. The Miami Heat and New York Knicks certainly come to mind as players in this conversation. Both teams have more desirable pieces they would be willing trade for Oladipo than the Sixers want to give up. Common sense brought me to the thought that the Sixers would not overpay for Oladipo.
4 reasons to not trade for Oladipo: Downgrade
Victor Oladipo is not a popular name mentioned in the trade talk conversation and I understand why some people may not have even given this idea any thought. Another reason for not acquiring Oladipo is that he is downgrade for the type of offensive creator the Sixers were in line to grab. It’s not a slight to say Victor Oladipo is a downgrade to James Harden or Bradley Beal, the next best option the Sixers would try to acquire.
The numbers aren’t comparable. I know the Wizards had one of the best offenses in the NBA last season, much in part to Beal, and James Harden is an all-time offensive player, but even taking those things away it is not close. It’s a clear drop-off because of who both Harden and Beal ascended to as players. Both prolific 30-point per game scorers who can involve their teammates.
So at this point, you have to think if you want to settle for this perfectly fine move that wasn’t your first or second option. It could be an ego test or accepting that whatever was meant to happen for the organization. There was some barrier in the Harden trade that caused it to swing in Brooklyn’s favor and there’s a few noticeable obstacles coming with a Beal trade. It may be smart just to ride out the season without making this move to give everyone involved with the team some stability.
4 reasons to not trade for Oladipo: Expiring contract
The final reason for not acquiring Victor Oladipo is that he has an expiring contract. Oladipo is set to be a free agent in the summer of 2021. The Sixers would have to get an agreement from Oladipo to re-sign and get creative with what big contract player (Ben Simmons or Tobias Harris) they would choose to move.
Philadelphia didn’t even prioritize Jimmy Butler in their future and now they’re supposed to do so with Oladipo? It would be trying to redo a situation you knew you were wrong in. Would that be one of the main reasons to do the deal for them? That’s pretty sentimental in a sense and when constructing a roster that’s not supposed to be a major factor in it.
The risk outweighs the reward here. The Sixers wouldn’t be the above all favorite with Oladipo and he is also rumored to be in interested in joining the Miami Heat when he is a free agent. I know, deja vu. Not pulling the trigger on this would save the organization on fixing its plans that are already in motion.
The trade would be a great trade for the Philadelphia 76ers but it seems too good to be true. Instead of trying to make something out of nothing the team should be plotting further on how to build a championship contender. Oladipo’s acquisition would seem to be an unnecessary speed bump in that process.