Victor Oladipo recently turned down a two-year contract extension from the Houston Rockets, but the offer may have been more for show, anyway.
The Rockets offered Oladipo a two-year, $45.2 million max contract extension, which is the most they could offer before he becomes a free agent. Oladipo declined because he is seeking a long-term deal in free agency, but he said Monday night that he appreciated the gesture.
Victor Oladipo described the Rockets extension offer as a gesture made some time ago that they knew he would not accept, though he appreciated it. "They wanted to show me they wanted me."
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) March 2, 2021
Oladipo was the centerpiece of the return the Rockets received in the massive James Harden trade. They sent Caris LeVert to Indiana to get Oladipo in the 4-team trade. There was some talk at first that they had no intention of keeping Oladipo, so the offer may have been their way of showing him that is not the case.
If Oladipo does leave Houston as expected, it may be because he doesn’t want to play there.
Oladipo is averaging 19.4 points per game in his time split between the Rockets and Pacers this season. He will be one of the top free agents available after the season.
Photo: Michael Tipton/Flickr via CC-BY-SA 2.0
