From Jenna Ciccotelli of B/R:
Victor Oladipo reportedly turned down the opportunity to remain with the Houston Rockets after this season.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the guard passed on a two-year, $45.2 million max contract extension.
Oladipo is in the last year of a four-year, $85 million deal that he signed with the Indiana Pacers, from whom he was dealt in the four-team deal that sent James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets in January.
Oladipo is seeking a longer-term deal, which the Rockets can still offer him, per Wojnarowski. The league’s collective bargaining agreement requires that the team wait until the offseason to do so.
Wojnarowski reported the Rockets will be able to offer him up to a four-year, $113 million extension before free agency begins, and once he hits the open market, that can grow to either $151 million over four years or $195 million over five.
The two-time All-Star has become one of the most important pieces on a Rockets team that is reeling from the losses of Harden and Russell Westbrook. The latter went to Washington in exchange for John Wall, who has also been a major key for the group.
Their presence has never been more important than it has been in the latest stretch, with the Rockets on a 10-game losing streak since center Christian Wood went down with an ankle injury.
As Oladipo is in the final year of his deal—and the Rockets aren’t able to put it together as it is—he may also be a valuable trade chip for the team leading up to the March 25 deadline. Per Wojnarowski, the Rockets have “yet to engage with teams on trade talks” for the 28-year-old, who is averaging 18.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 13 games in Houston.
If the Rockets decide to keep him heading into April, there will be plenty of time for them to get it together—and for Oladipo to prove that he’s worthy of a major deal in Houston or elsewhere.
