If the Knicks have their way, Victor Oladipo might be headed to New York.
Victor Oladipo has been the straw that stirred the Indiana Pacers’ drink over the last three seasons, but rumblings that Indiana could look to trade the former Hoosier this offseason has raised eyebrows across the NBA. The New York Knicks are particularly interested, and they would be willing to part with quite a lot to get a deal done.
Marc Berman of The New York Post is reporting that not only are the Knicks willing to trade away players and picks to get Oladipo, but they are willing to part with Julius Randle, Dennis Smith Jr., and both of the first-round picks they acquired from the Dallas Mavericks in the Kristaps Porzingis trade in order to pick him up.
Victor Oladipo is one of the best two-way players in the league
Oladipo tried his best to squash trade rumors, but there is still a belief that he wants out of Indiana, especially after they fired head coach Nate McMillan. Oladipo, who has averaged 20.7 points per game while making the All-Star game twice in three seasons with the Pacers, has set his eyes on a championship, and there is reason to suspect that could be hard to come by in Indiana.
The Knicks might play in arguably the best division in the league in the Atlantic, but the hiring of Tom Thibodeau, an intense veteran coach known for playing his starters for long stretches, and the pursuit of Oladipo could be taken as a sign that the Knicks are trying to accelerate their rebuild. While it wouldn’t totally solve everything, Oladipo would be the best player the Knicks have had in nearly half a decade.
The Knicks aren’t along in their pursuit of Oladipo, as contenders like the Raptors and Nets as well as rebuilding teams like the Suns are all trying to trade for Oladipo.
Oladipo will cost a pretty penny, but James Dolan seems willing to OK a move for him if it will bump the Knicks up in the standings.