Houston Rockets: Why Victor Oladipo should have signed the extension

Houston Rockets: Victor Oladipo is in for a rude awakening

Oladipo might have his eyes on a four-year $151 million contract but the chances that he’ll be able to land a deal in that range look increasingly slim. If the salary cap hits its projection of $112 million for next season only 14 teams are set to be under that amount and only six teams would have enough space to add a $20 million salary without going into the luxury tax, the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Hornets, Oklahoma City Thunder, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Houston Rockets.

If Victor Oladipo wants a contract that pays him over $35 million a year then he’ll have to join a team that is on the periphery of contention and that’s if any of these teams want him. Almost 29-years-old, Oladipo is not going to be a target for teams that are in the midst of a rebuild.

The Knicks have reportedly been interested but how much sense does Oladpio make in New York with the emergence of Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett’s impressive rebound from a disastrous rookie season? Each of those teams with substantial cap-space, outside of the Rockets and the Bulls to a lesser degree, have an entrenched or young backcourt that they’re interested in developing.

The demand for Oladipo’s services in the offseason is likely to be muted and the $22.6 million the Rockets offered him over two-years is probably closer to his ceiling than his floor. If he wants to secure a maximum deal he’ll need to build up his value or run the risk of having to sign a one-year deal or a longer deal that pays him significantly less money on a per-year basis.

The reason the Rockets offered Oladipo a two-year extension is that it gives them a chance to rebuild his value without being saddled with a long-term contract. The extension acknowledges what Oladipo is now but also gives him the opportunity to cash in what he believes he can be.

Next: Why Oladipo turned down the Rockets