Kevin Durant is now gone and Russell Westbrook’s future is up in the air. These are tense times for the Oklahoma City Thunder as they look to recover from losing a franchise star.
Despite Durant’s departure, the Thunder still have a solid team to build off of, including some young pieces. One of those members of the youth movement is a recent addition in Victor Oladipo. The shooting guard who was traded this summer in exchange for Serge Ibaka looks to be a big part of the Thunder’s future.
But Oladipo is also a free agent next summer, albeit of the restricted type. A young player with several high-level skills, he could see himself getting a nice pay raise. That’s why he’s putting the pressure on the Thunder now.
With OKC scrambling to find a solution on the Russell Westbrook situation, Oladipo is trying to find a solution of his own. According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, the guard is already seeking a max extension on his deal:
the Magic have already addressed it by dealing Harris, Harkless, and Oladipo — with the latter up for a mega-extension, and (for now) seeking the maximum salary, sources say.
This is a bold strategy by Oladipo to say the least. That said, in this market with teams having plenty to spend, Oladipo getting the max next summer is not out of the realm of possibilities.
OKC could actually save money by extending him now rather than matching a max offer next year. The issue lies in the cap flexibility they need to keep Westbrook. The Thunder are in the midst of trying to renegotiate with Westbrook although there are rumors that he has no interest in signing an extension.
Victor Oladipo is making the smart move in forcing the Thunder’s hand. Will they succumb to ensure they have at least one member of their backcourt signed long term?
