Milwaukee Bucks Rumors: Trade talks held over Victor Oladipo with Pacers
By Dalton Sell
According to a report from The Ringer, the Milwaukee Bucks have held trade talks that have centered around Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo.
The rumor mill keeps on churning around the Milwaukee Bucks this offseason.
The latest such rumor centers around Indiana Pacers All-Star guard Victor Oladipo and apparently the Bucks have entered the conversation for the two-time All-Star, per a report from The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor that came through Wednesday evening.
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According to O’Connor, the Bucks and the Pacers have held talks that have centered around Oladipo, while adding in that a deal looks to be unlikely at this point:
"“League sources say the Pacers have talked with the Bucks about a trade involving Oladipo, though at this point it seems unlikely.”"
Just last week, ESPN’s Zach Lowe made a mention of Milwaukee potentially being a trade destination for Oladipo in a recent episode of ‘The Lowe Post,‘ which had set off the initial run of speculation. With O’Connor’s reporting, that speculation has turned into something more concrete.
With Milwaukee entering a championship-or-bust season next year and Oladipo emerging as potentially one of the biggest trade candidates this offseason, it’s far from a surprise to see this development.
Victor Oladipo fits the bill for what the Milwaukee Bucks need, but his health moving forward will ultimately be the deciding factor.
In what proved to be his career back in 2017-18, Oladipo rapidly ascended into the upper echelon of shooting guards. Making his All-Star debut, Oladipo averaged 23.1 points on .477/.371/.799 shooting splits, 5.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and an astounding 2.4 steals per game. Earning All-NBA Third Team and All-Defensive First Team honors, the guard cemented his stellar season by taking home that year’s Most Improved Player award.
However, since then, Oladipo’s NBA career has been full of hardships, brought on primarily by rupturing his right quad tendon in January of 2019. With just 55 games under his belt over the last two regular seasons, plus four playoff games, Oladipo has been unable to sustain that top-tier play he once displayed, and his availability has been a question mark.
With Oladipo already being a hot name in the growing trade market and entering a contract year, with dreams of earning a max deal next offseason to boot, teams like the Bucks will certainly come into any discussions with plenty of caution.
For Milwaukee, a move for Oladipo is as risky as they come this offseason. There’s the need to make substantial moves knows with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s supermax extension looming large, but putting their eggs in an Oladipo trade is a glaring red flag, given the long-term health concerns.
Still, the guard’s potential upside and value make him an enticing target. There aren’t the same concerns in building up a trade package like for Bogdan Bogdanovic or Chris Paul, two potential trade targets linked to the Bucks. Milwaukee’s limited resources are still a challenge, but Oladipo’s expiring $21 million salary is far more digestible in that regard.
One other factor not to overlook here is the familiarity between the Bucks and the Pacers when it comes to talking trades. The biggest one of recent note is the sign-and-trade deal for Malcolm Brogdon last summer, but the Bucks and Pacers also reportedly discussed a swap between Ersan Ilyasova and Doug McDermott ahead of this year’s trade deadline.
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Whether that familiarity holds any value here remains to be seen, but with the Bucks either needing a third star alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton or some kind of backcourt upgrade in general, Oladipo may be that player for them.