One of the prevailing storylines revolving around the Miami Heat this offseason has been Victor Oladipo’s pursuit of an NBA comeback.
With the Heat being Oladipo’s last team and having an open roster spot to sign a veteran, many have linked the former NBA star to Miami. Plus, Oladipo has been extremely public about his hopes of returning to the league. He held a pro day in July that was open to all NBA personnel and later wrote a letter to general managers across the Association asking for another opportunity.
Many Heat fans have argued that the 34-year-old Oladipo would be a safe bet to fill the team’s 15th roster spot. While the Heat isn’t required to add another player, some believe that Miami’s lacking guard depth makes an Oladipo reunion all the more logical.
Miami Heat’s Stance on a Victor Oladipo Reunion Seems Final
One could argue that if the Heat was interested in bringing Oladipo back that it would have happened by now. Another could argue that the Heat is doing what it has all offseason: practice patience. That has been the name of the game for the team since before the rumors of a Giannis Antetokounmpo-to-Miami trade cluttered the internet.
As for Oladipo, however, while there is that slim possibility that the Heat could be slow-playing things and have Oladipo in its plans, it seems more likely that Miami will not be offering the two-time All-Star a contract.
“And he just might, and what he had shown in the past is the type of shot creation and streak scoring that this Heat roster might lack,” team insider Ira Winderman wrote for the Sun Sentinel. “But . . . but Victor Oladipo also is 34, has not played in the NBA since his 2023 playoff knee injury while with the Heat, and was highly uneven during his 2025 comeback bid with the Bucks’ G League team.”
Some will point to the Heat’s history of starting another chapter with a former player as the reason why president Pat Riley and GM Andy Elisburg have an Oladipo reunion in mind, but Winderman objected to that.
“Yes, the Heat have done reunions before with older players,” Winderman wrote, “but this is a case of an older player who has been out of the league and had a career of injury setbacks. The comeback bid is laudable. But sometimes these things don’t end on a player’s terms. If there is to be a Heat comeback tour for a 30-year-old current free-agent guard, it is more likely to be with Gabe Vincent.”
Oladipo’s Fight for a Comeback Continues
Just because the Heat is unlikely to give Oladipo another chance now doesn’t entirely mean that can’t change in a matter of months.
The Heat reportedly has interest in bringing on a veteran guard to shore up its backcourt.
“With Gabe Vincent, it could be a matter of requiring a degree of guarantee,” Winderman wrote in an earlier article. “And with Victor Oladipo, being in win-now mode likely means sentiment being pushed aside. If anything, the (D’Angelo) Russell possibility is why you wait to see what might shake free during the preseason. At the moment, the Heat have room below their hard cap for only one veteran at the NBA minimum. So you have to be selective, and patient.”
It makes sense why the Heat is more likely to reunite with Vincent than Oladipo. Vincent is younger, has no notable injury history and played a reasonably impactful role with the Atlanta Hawks just last season.
As for Oladipo, he has accomplished too much in the NBA not to get another chance.
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