Victor Oladipo turned down a $45 million extension from Houston Rockets

Victor Oladipo has had a very unconventional career in the NBA. Oladipo has battled injuries, but when healthy he has proved that he can be an All-Star guard. Oladipo, a two-time All-Star, finds himself on his fourth team in 10 years and is in the final year of his contract.

Oladipo’s 4 years $85 million contract is set to expire this summer making him one of the top free agents of 2021. Earlier in the season, the Houston rockets acquired Oladipo in a three-team trade that involved star guard James Harden going to the Brooklyn Nets.

For the Rockets keeping Oladipo is a priority as he is a very solid NBA player to compliment the game of guard John Wall. Recently, Houston tried to sign the star to two more years in which Victor Oladipo turned down a $45 million extension.

Rockets Struggles

This time a year ago the Houston rockets were an NBA contender for not only the Western Conference but the NBA Finals. The 2019-2020 Rockets were led by James Harden along with Russell Westbrook and Clint Capela and had a very deep roster.

Houston first traded Capela to the Atlanta Hawks, then Westbrook to the Washington Wizards, and finally Harden to the Brooklyn Nets. Saying that the Houston Rockets team right now is different is an understatement, the roster has changed and the results on the court have been abysmal. Houston is currently 11-22, ranking 14th in the Western Conference, and on a 12 game losing streak.

For Houston, it does not appear that things will get any better this season as the roster simply is not as good as it used to be and many of the other teams in the West improved. 

How Good is Oladipo?

Throughout his career, Oladipo is averaging 17.5 points per game, 4.6 rebounds per game, and 3.9 assists per game. In 2021 Oladipo is playing above average in Houston having 19.0 points per game, 4.8 rebounds per game, and 4.7 assists per game.

Houston’s top players right now include not only Oladipo, John Wall, P.J. Tucker, Eric Gordon, and rookie Christian Wood. On paper, this is a decent NBA roster, yet the results on the court have not been good. Oladipo and Wall have been a solid backcourt, but Oladipo has missed a lot of time due to injury playing in only 14 games this season. 

Why Only Two Years?

The Rocket’s initial mid-season offer to Oladipo is only for two years and that might seem short. The NBA Collective Bargaining agreement does not allow the Rockets to offer Oladipo a contract extension of more than two years and any contract Oladipo signs this offseason is expected to be a max contract for multiple years.

At 28 years old Oladpio is still rather young and if healthy he has plenty of good basketball ahead of him. It has been reported that the Rockets knew Oladipo would not accept the two-year offer, but offered it anyway to show the All-Star guard that they want him to stay in H-Town for the time being. 

2021 Free Agency

Oladipo is amongst the top free agents in 2021 as he is productive and still rather young. Some of the other free agents in this class include forward Kawhi Leonard, guards DeMar DeRozan, and Jrue Holiday. By the time free agency rolls around Oladipo will be 29 years old.

Houston might not be the best fit for Oladipo to spend the next four or more years of his career. The Rockets franchise seems to be in total disarray and entering rebuild mode. Oladipo would be smart to leave Houston for a contending franchise that will still offer him a long-term contract and a lot of money.