Rockets: Have the Knicks lost interest in Victor Oladipo?

If anyone was expecting the NBA’s trade market to be action-packed, they’ve certainly been let down thus far, as none of the bigger names that are reportedly available have been moved. The Houston Rockets have two of the most high-profile names that are expected to be moved in Victor Oladipo and P.J. Tucker, who are both on expiring deals and have each rejected the Rockets’ offer for a contract extension.

The rumors surrounding both players have been heating up, as the latest news on Tucker is that 70 percent of the league is interested in him. In Oladipo’s case, it’s been reported that the Miami Heat and New York Knicks have the most interest, with most people believing that the Knicks will be most likely to make a trade offer, as the Heat don’t present a compelling enough package, and especially without fan favorite Tyler Herro, who Miami wasn’t willing to even include in the James Harden sweepstakes when the Houston Rockets were shopping him.

Have the Knicks lost interest in Houston Rockets guard Victor Oladipo?

But the latest chatter regarding the Knicks’ interest in Oladipo doesn’t seem nearly as positive as the initial reports. ESPN’s Zach Lowe recently discussed the state of affairs on The Lowe Post.

“I’m just not sure, if I’m one of the teams that have been rumored. I know the teams that have been linked, I wrote this about the Knicks before the season.

They were taking a we’ve gotta wait and see with Victor, after the injury and the very short season last season.

I’m not sure anything they’ve waited and seen would convince me that I need to go get Victor Oladipo right now for the stretch run. So I’m not sure where Houston is going to find a deal there but my guess is that they will look.”

On Tuesday, Sirius XM’s Justin Termine spoke on the possibility of the Knicks making a move for Oladipo on Give and Go, and Termine echoed the sentiments of Lowe.

“I just hope they don’t make a mistake and go and get Victor Oladipo. My God.

Whether it’s New York or Miami, I mean can you make a bigger mistake than Victor Oladipo?”

For what it’s worth, Oladipo has played well of late, which figures to be his best chance of raising his value between now and the March 25th trade deadline.

Victor Oladipo’s last 4 games:

29.0 PPG4.2 RPG5.8 APG43% FG pic.twitter.com/UFurQXOHZ2

— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) March 17, 2021

As if this wasn’t impressive enough, Oladipo has also caught fire from long-range during that span, shooting 37.1 percent from deep (13-of-35). If the Knicks do have interest in adding the 28-year-old guard, they’d be wise to make a trade for him now, because they don’t have the luxury of waiting until his contract ends to make a move for him, as the Miami Heat would seem to have the upper hand on adding Oladipo in free agency, as that’s where it’s been reported that he has the most interest in playing.

For a team that has missed on several high-profile players of late, the Knicks’ best chance of rebuilding their brand while also improving their roster this season would be to make a move for Oladipo, and especially with his play of late.