Victor Oladipo

Twelve days after he first announced that he’d be sitting out of the NBA’s restart this summer and two days after word broke that he may be reconsidering that decision, Pacers guard Victor Oladipo spoke to reporters on Wednesday. Asked about his status for the summer, Oladipo confirmed that there’s a “strong possibility” he’ll suit up for the Pacers if his body continues to respond well to workouts, as Joe Vardon of The Athletic relays.

“My body is feeling good,” Oladipo said after the Pacers’ practice on Wednesday. “It was hard for me to assess where I was at from the long layover and obviously corona(virus), couldn’t really control that. But now you know, coming down here and getting some practices in, getting my feet under me, going out there and playing with the guys, there’s a possibility that I could play. I am just reassessing myself and my body every day.”

When Oladipo first announced that he wouldn’t be participating in the restart, he cited health concerns related to his torn quad tendon. Although the two-time All-Star returned from that injury in January, he hadn’t fully recaptured his pre-injury form by the time the season was suspended in March. He expressed reservations this month about the summer’s abridged ramp-up period and the possibility of experiencing a setback.

However, Oladipo traveled to the Walt Disney World campus with the Pacers and has been practicing without restrictions. So far, his body has responded well to those workouts and practices, leading to renewed optimism about his potential availability for the summer.

“At the end of the day, I’m trying to play,” Oladipo said today (Twitter link via Tim Bontemps of ESPN). “… There’s no definite answer, but I’m trending upwards. Hopefully when the time comes to make that decision, it will be easy to make and I can let you guys know.”

If Oladipo plays this summer, he’ll receive his remaining game checks. If he sits out, the NBA and NBPA will have to resolve a dispute over his salary — as we detailed on Tuesday, the union believes Oladipo should receive his remaining salary since his absence would be health-related, but the league contends that the guard would be sitting out despite receiving medical clearance from doctors and would therefore have to forfeit his summer pay.

Asked today about that dispute, Oladipo offered no new insights, telling reporters that he’s focused on playing basketball and has “no control” over his salary situation, as Eric Woodyard of ESPN tweets.

The NBA and NBPA disagree about how Victor Oladipo‘s remaining salary should be handled, assuming he doesn’t play for the Pacers this summer, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

As Windhorst notes, a player who voluntarily opts out of the NBA’s restart forfeits his game checks for this summer’s remaining contests (up to a maximum of 14 games). Conversely, a player who is unable to participate due to an injury will receive his remaining game checks.

Oladipo’s case falls into something of a grey area. He cited his health when announcing earlier this month that he had decided not to play this summer, and the Pacers haven’t signed a substitute player to replace him. However, he’s not technically considered an injured player since he had returned from his quad tendon injury well before the season was suspended in March. He has also since been cleared by both team and personal doctors to play this summer, sources tell Windhorst.

The players’ union believes that Oladipo should be paid his remaining salary, which works out to nearly $3MM. The league believes the All-Star guard is voluntarily opting out and shouldn’t be paid.

The NBA doesn’t want to set a precedent in case there are other players who decide to opt out despite being healthy enough to play. Oladipo’s public comments – in which he suggested he’s feeling healthy but wants to be cautious – have solidified the league’s position on the issue, Windhorst writes.

As we relayed on Monday evening, Oladipo may be reconsidering his decision to opt out of the restart, since he has felt good and faced no restrictions in practices. If he does suit up, he would – of course – receive the rest of his salary, rendering the dispute moot. If he doesn’t play, his remaining salary will be in jeopardy.

The Pacers, who want to retain Oladipo long-term and will look to avoid upsetting him at all ahead of his 2021 free agency, support the 28-year-old’s decision either way and are willing to pay him his salary whether or not he plays, sources tell ESPN.

While the NBA could defer to the Pacers and leave the decision up to them, that may also set a worrisome precedent, since other teams might not be as willing to pay players who opt out — especially if they’re not stars like Oladipo. I’d personally be surprised if Oladipo receives his remaining salary if he doesn’t participate in the restart, but we’ll have to wait and see how the situation plays out.

Don’t count out Victor Oladipo from playing again this season after all.

Early this month, Oladipo said he wouldn’t play at the Orlando campus. Now, the Pacers star guard is having second thoughts, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. After a couple of strong team practices in Orlando, Oladipo might decide to suit up.

Oladipo has participated fully in those practices, Eric Woodyard of ESPN tweets. “He’s been going hard,” coach Nate McMillan said. The practices have included 5-on-5 scrimmages with Oladipo on the court, Charania adds (Twitter link).

Concerns over reinjuring his quad during the restart led to the decision to sit out. As ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes in a tweet, Oladipo won’t be paid simply for participating in practices. Only players who have tested positive for COVID-19 or have a season-ending injury can get paid during the restart while sitting out.

Oladipo stands to lose approximately $2.7MM if he doesn’t play. He has a $21MM salary this season as well as next season before he becomes a free agent.

Oladipo, who suffered a torn quad tendon during the 2018/19 season, missed approximately a full calendar year, making his return for the Pacers on January 29. He averaged 13.8 PPG prior to the stoppage of play, including a season-high 27 points during Indiana’s last game.

4:33pm: Oladipo plans to accompany the Pacers to Orlando, a league source tells Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports (Twitter link).

Because Oladipo is traveling with the team, Indiana won’t be allowed to replace him and he won’t forfeit any salary, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. In other words, Oladipo will essentially be treated as an injured player rather than one who is voluntarily opting out.

2:50pm: Pacers star Victor Oladipo has decided he won’t participate in the NBA’s restart in Orlando this summer, he tells Shams Charania of The Athletic.

“I really want to play, and as a competitor and teammate this is tearing me apart,” Oladipo told Charania. “I feel like I’m at a great place in my rehab and getting closer and closer to 100 percent. With all the variables, from how I have to build my 5-on-5 workload back up, to the increased risk of a soft tissue injury which could delay my rehab, and the unknown exact set up of the bubble I just can’t get my mind to being fully comfortable in playing.

“I have to be smart and this decision hasn’t been easy, but I truly believe continuing on the course I’m on and getting fully healthy for the 2020/21 season is the right decision for me.”

Oladipo, who suffered a torn quad tendon during the 2018/19 season, missed approximately a full calendar year, making his return for the Pacers on January 29. His play was somewhat inconsistent leading up to the suspension of the NBA season, and he missed five games during that stretch, but he had his best performance in Indiana’s final game before the hiatus, pouring in 27 points against Boston on March 10.

Oladipo’s trainer, Luke Miller, tells Charania that the two-time All-Star hasn’t had a setback and is “in the best shape he’s ever been in.” However, Oladipo and Miller were concerned about the possibility of the Pacers guard suffering an injury in Orlando, given the truncated ramp-up period to the eight seeding games and the playoffs.

“It’s not worrisome, the quad tendon itself — it’s the other soft tissues around it,” Miller told Charania. “Research shows that within about two years, coming back from a major injury and major surgery, these guys are more susceptible to an injury because of quad deficit. It’s a lot to ask Vic to come back in three weeks from five-on-five and play in playoff games.”

The Pacers – who are 39-26 and rank fifth in the Eastern Conference – are unlikely to make a deep playoff run this summer without Oladipo active. The team is also missing Jeremy Lamb (torn ACL), and Malcolm Brogdon recently tested positive for COVID-19.

Still, Indiana has the 28-year-old under contract for at least one more year, and there have been some indications that the two sides have interest in a longer-term deal. He’ll be eligible for a contract extension this fall, or could get a longer, more lucrative contract as a free agent in 2021.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.