1. Victor Oladipo
Victor Oladipo is someone who I have been clamoring for the Los Angeles Lakers to sign for quite some time now and that will continue this offseason. If Oladipo would have stayed healthy and played at the level he was in Indiana then he really could have been a near-max guy that was the third-best player on a title-winning team.
At his best, Oladipo was one of the better two-way players in the league. He was a worse version of Jrue Holiday, who became an integral part of the Milwaukee Bucks’ championship run last season. Oladipo is no longer that player, but the potential is still there.
We have seen Oladipo have two huge playoff games thus far for the Miami Heat this year, proving that there is still something left in the tank and that if utilizes properly, he can be a very valuable two-way player. On top of playing serviceable defense, Oladipo scored 23 in Game 5 against the Atlanta Hawks and 19 in Game 2 against the Philadelphia 76ers.
It would take a remarkable playoff stretch for Oladipo’s value to increase out of the Lakers’ range. It would be a real shock if the Lakers were able to get him for the minimum but if Monk leaves the team, Oladipo could be a decent option to give the Taxpayer MLE to for $6.4 million.
He only played eight games this past season and has played a combined 60 games over the last three years. There are risks there, for sure, but he is still only 30 years old. If he can just stay healthy next season then he can be a quality member of the rotation.