Report: Heat's Victor Oladipo exercises $9.4M player option

The Miami Heat have been involved in many trade rumors this offseason but have not made any deals so far. One of their offseason questions has now been answered. 

Victor Oladipo has opted into his $9.4M option for the 2023-24 NBA season, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

This means a few things for the Miami Heat.

First, it provides Miami with a trade asset if they need it. Oladipo's trade value probably isn't very high right now, given his history of injuries. However, there are many teams that would be open to taking a chance on Oladipo and his skillset.

Miami is interested in adding another star this offseason. If they are able to facilitate a trade, they can put Oladipo in a package for a star or ship him to another team in a three-team trade.

When it comes to trades, having Oladipo under contract gives the Heat more options this offseason.

If the Heat decide to keep Oladipo, he can be a valuable asset, depending on his health. Injuries have been the unfortunate story for him for about half of his career. Before his battle with major knee injuries, Oladipo was an All-Star on the Indiana Pacers.

The Heat took a chance on Oladipo. They have not had many chances to see Oladipo in action, but they have seen flashes of a highly capable role player. He would be one of their best on-ball defenders and has occasionally shown off his scoring ability.

Oladipo's defensive ability was best on display last postseason against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. In Game 3 of that series, he had four steals and even more deflections.

The Miami Heat are hopeful that Oladipo can at least retain his defensive ability if he returns for them next season. They are also hoping that he can look more like the All-Star that played for the Pacers. For the reigning Eastern Conference champions, it seems like they are be comfortable betting on Oladipo and his health.