Oladipo Asks GMs for NBA Return in Open Letter — SkimNews
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- Victor Oladipo published an open letter to NBA general managers via the Players' Tribune, asking for an opportunity to resume a career that has been sidelined since April 2023.
- Oladipo tore his left patellar tendon while with the Miami Heat in April 2023, after previously rupturing the right quadriceps tendon in 2019, and has not played more than 42 games in any NBA season since.
- Oladipo played 26 games last season in the G League with the Wisconsin Herd, averaging 13.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists.
- Oladipo held a private pro day workout for front office personnel during NBA Summer League in Las Vegas in July to address lingering concerns about his health.
- Across 10 NBA seasons, Oladipo averaged 16.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.6 steals as a former No. 2 overall pick and two-time All-Star with the Indiana Pacers.
- Oladipo framed the letter as a message for his daughter Naomi, writing that he hopes she turns to this chapter in tough times and sees a father who is 'strong like her dad but also... allowed to show weakness.'
Why it matters: The letter puts every NBA front office on notice that the 34-year-old former All-Star is actively campaigning for a roster spot more than two years after his last NBA game. Any team considering him must weigh his 16.9-point career scoring production against the medical risk of a player who has suffered two catastrophic knee injuries and hasn't cleared 42 games in a season since 2019.
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