Miami’s Victor Oladipo on Tuesday, opted into the final season of the two-year contract which he signed with the team last July and is ready to give Heat Basketball another shot during the 2023-24 NBA season.

The Nigerian exercised his $9.4M player option for 2023-24, per Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Guard has suffered a series of injuries that has kept him out of the game for most of the season. He tore his left patellar tendon in the first round of the playoffs against the  Milwaukee Bucks in April and had to undergo a third major surgery in the space of four years, the previous two coming after a quadriceps injury over his right knee. 

Regardless, he was able to make 42 regular season appearances in Miami, averaging 10.7 points, 3.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.7 three-pointers on 39.7 percent shooting. It was his most regular-season appearance since 2017-18.

Oladipo was voted to the NBA All-Star Game, NBA All-Defensive First Team and All-NBA Third Team in 2017-18 as a member of the Indiana Pacers.

He was traded to Houston by Indiana in January 2021. On March 25, 2021, Oladipo was again traded to the Miami Heat in exchange for Avery Bradley, Kelly Olynyk and a 2022 draft pick swap.

One can only hope that he still has enough gas in his tank to see the season through. Oladipo has always been a fine player and an integral part of the Heat team bringing athletism and depth to the squad.

A Deep Dive into Victor Oladipo

Oladipo was born in Silver Spring, Maryland, and raised in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. His mother, a nurse, and father are from Nigeria. Oladipo’s parents moved to the United States in 1985, where they were married.

Oladipo was drafted with the second overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic and went on to be named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

He was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016 and then traded to the Indiana Pacers in 2017.

He became a first-time NBA All-Star, led the league in steals, was named to the All-Defensive First Team and the All-NBA Third Team, and won the NBA Most Improved Player Award in his first season with Indiana.

Despite an injury-riddled 2018–19 season, including a season-ending injury in January 2019, Oladipo was named an Eastern Conference All-Star reserve for the second straight year.

In January 2021, he was traded to the Houston Rockets but was dealt to the Heat just two months later. He underwent season-ending surgery after just four games with Miami and made his playing return in March 2022.

Oladipo had a musical stint, releasing an EP, Songs for You in 2017 and his debut album V.O. in 2018. He also appeared as “Thingamajig” on season 2 of The Masked Singer, finishing in 5th.