Rockets trade Victor Oladipo to Miami for Kelly Olynyk, Avery Bradley, pick swap
The Houston Rockets are trading veteran guard Victor Oladipo to the Miami Heat, as first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. From Miami, the Rockets are receiving center Kelly Olynyk, guard Avery Bradley, and the right to swap picks in the first round of the 2022 NBA draft, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
Olynyk is averaging 10.0 points and 6.1 rebounds in 26.9 minutes per game, while Bradley — known best for his perimeter defense — is averaging 8.5 points (42.1% on 3-pointers) in 21.1 minutes per game. Olynyk, 29, will be a free agent this offseason, while Bradley, 30, has a team option on his contract for the 2021-22 season at $5.9 million.
A two-time All-Star, Oladipo was acquired by Houston in January as part of the blockbuster four-team trade that sent James Harden to Brooklyn. Now 28 years old, Oladipo’s contract expires after this season.
When Oladipo was acquired in January, the Rockets were hopeful that he could boost a short-term playoff push and open-minded to the potential of a contract extension. But following a historic 20-game losing streak, which largely derailed any playoff chances this season, the risk of Oladipo potentially leaving for no compensation in offseason free agency became too much for Houston general manager Rafael Stone to take. After all, part of Oladipo’s original value proposition was his impact on the 2020-21 season — and with the team at 12-31, that’s suddenly less relevant.
In 20 games with the Rockets, Oladipo averaged 21.2 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.8 rebounds in 33.5 minutes per game. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard was also one of Houston’s top defenders.
