The Miami Heat bought Houston Rockets star Victor Oladipo on Thursday, it was announced.
Although sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski earlier this week that there is widespread confidence that Houston will trade with Oladipo, the teams have passed the 15:00 ET deadline before agree to the transaction.
Instead, the Rockets receive guard Avery Bradley, striker Kelly Olynyk and swap rights in the first round of 2022. These exchange rights include choosing the Brooklyn Nets.
Along with Oladipo in Miami, the Heat is also expected to appear as the first leader to sign LaMarcus Aldridge, sources told Wojnarowski. The great veteran man completed a buyout with the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, it was announced. Sources told Wojnarowski that the purchase was $ 5.8 million
Five years of unforgettable memories … Thank you, San Antonio! pic.twitter.com/tRscfpnZax
– LaMarcus Aldridge (@ aldridge_12) March 25, 2021
Aldridge plans to talk to several teams before finalizing a decision, according to Wojnarowski.
Miami also landed Sacramento Kings’ Nemanja Bjelica for strikers Maurice Harkless and Chris Silva.
Oladipo, 28, is in the final season of a four-year, $ 85 million contract and could become a free agent this summer. He broke his quad in January 2019, but showed flashes of his old self in shows with Indiana and Houston this season. Oladipo scored an average of 21.2 points in 20 games with the Rockets, although his efficiency was suboptimal.
He arrived in Houston as part of a four-team deal that brought All-NBA goalie James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets. The Rockets offered Oladipo a two-year, $ 45 million contract – the maximum offer they were available to make during the season under the collective bargaining agreement – but Oladipo turned it down, sources said.
Oladipo has averaged 20.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists with the Rockets this season. For his nine-year career, including stops with the Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers, he averaged 17.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists.
The two-time All-Star selection was also a top defender, being named to the All-Defensive first team in 2018, when he led the NBA in steals and was also named the league’s best player.
The Rockets, who lost Wednesday to the Charlotte Hornets after a 20-game losing streak on Monday night, are on track to pick up young players and pick assets as they head for a rebuild.
An eight-year veteran on an expiring transaction, Olynyk has averaged 10.0 points and 6.1 rebounds for the Heat this season. He spent the first four seasons with the Celtics and has a career average of 9.7 points and 4.9 rebounds.
Bradley, who has an average of 8.5 points, has barely played this season due to COVID-19 and then a calf injury. He also played for the Pistons, Clippers, Grizzlies and Lakers during his career and averaged 11.7 points and 2.9 rebounds in 11 seasons.