Rockets: NBA analyst gives prediction of where Victor Oladipo will land

Although Victor Oladipo had a brief 20-game stint with the Houston Rockets, the former All-NBA guard put together several impressive performances, en route to averaging 21.2 points, 5 assists, and 4.8 rebounds. One of Oladipo’s most efficient performances came on Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, in which he had 23 points on 74.5 percent true shooting and an effective field goal percentage of 73.3 percent.

In that game Oladipo made a game-high four 3-pointers on eight attempts, displaying the shooting touch that helped make him an All-Star twice before. Oladipo compiled his most efficient Houston Rockets performance against the Atlanta Hawks, who the Rockets faced just two games before facing OKC.

Against Atlanta, Oladipo had 34 points, a season-high, while making 65 percent of his shot attempts and 66.7 percent of his threes, leading to a true shooting clip of 78.1 percent and an effective field goal percentage of 75 percent. Oladipo is one of the most prominent names that’s expected to be moved before Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, and the list of interested teams is outlined below:

• Golden State Warriors
• Denver Nuggets
• New York Knicks
• Miami Heat
• Detroit Pistons
• Atlanta Hawks
• Chicago Bulls

The question regarding Oladipo of late has been what exactly he will command on the market, considering his up-and-down play in Houston, not to mention the fact that he only played in 20 of a potential 32 games in a Rockets uniform. The other question has been which team will be the best fit for Oladipo’s skillset, which is important since the season is halfway over and his contract is set to expire at the end of the season.

NBA analyst predicts where the Houston Rockets will trade Victor Oladipo

On Wednesday night NBA analyst and 13-year veteran Channing Frye predicted that Oladipo will be dealt to the New York Knicks, while also explaining why during an appearance on NBA TV’s NBA Gametime Live.

“My guy Victor Oladipo, it’s time to go to the big city. I think Thibs is the right kind of coach, I think Julius Randle is the right kind of star. Join the squad, get it done.”

The Knicks have gotten off to a surprising start, as they’ve posted a record of 22-22, which currently puts them in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, although they have an identical record as the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks. As Frye mentioned, Tom Thibodeau, who is in his first season as the Knicks coach, would welcome the addition of Oladipo, as he emphasizes defense and would appreciate Oladipo’s commitment on that end of the floor.

In addition, the Knicks are known for constantly going big-game hunting for stars and have struck out in recent years. Adding Oladipo would be beneficial to both the franchise and to Oladipo himself, as it would give the Knicks another fringe-level star player and would give Oladipo the opportunity to play in one of the largest media markets.

The latter would figure to hold appeal to Oladipo, who is used to playing in smaller markets such as Orlando, Indiana, and Oklahoma City. With the trade deadline at 2:00 Central, we’ll find out fairly quickly if Frye’s prediction will be right.