MILWAUKEE — Two-time NBA All-Star Victor Oladipo has officially joined the Wisconsin Herd, the G League affiliate of the Milwaukee Bucks, marking a significant step in the veteran guard’s extended rehabilitation and bid to return to the National Basketball Association. The Herd announced the acquisition on Sunday, confirming the addition of a player whose career has been punctuated by periods of elite performance alongside formidable injury setbacks.

Oladipo, who has not featured in an NBA regular season game since the 2022-23 campaign, was acquired by the Wisconsin Herd via trade from the Santa Cruz Warriors. The transaction saw the Herd send a 2027 first-round pick in the G League draft to the Warriors, a standard mechanism for player movement within the developmental league. Oladipo entered the G League player pool over the weekend, and the Santa Cruz Warriors, holding waiver priority over Wisconsin, initially claimed his rights before orchestrating the trade. This structured path through the G League provides Oladipo with a controlled environment to demonstrate his recovery and evaluate his game readiness following a severe injury.

The 33-year-old guard’s most recent NBA appearance concluded abruptly in the first round of the 2023 playoffs. While playing for the Miami Heat against the very Milwaukee Bucks organization he is now affiliated with, Oladipo suffered a torn left patellar tendon. This injury, occurring in Game 2 of the series on April 19, 2023, required extensive surgical repair and a lengthy rehabilitation period, sidelining him for the remainder of the Heat’s unexpected run to the NBA Finals and through the entirety of the subsequent off-season and initial months of the 2023-24 NBA season. The severity of the patellar tendon tear marked the second major leg injury of Oladipo’s career, following a ruptured quadriceps tendon in his right knee sustained in January 2019, which also necessitated a prolonged recovery and significantly altered his career trajectory.

Oladipo’s journey to the G League player pool, and subsequent placement with the Herd, underscores the rigorous and often circuitous route professional athletes must undertake to return from catastrophic injuries. Prior to his formal entry into the G League system, Oladipo sought opportunities to regain game rhythm and test his knee. He participated in several NBA preseason games in October 2023 as part of the Chinese Basketball Association’s Guangzhou Loong-Lions. This stint offered a chance to engage in competitive basketball, albeit at a different level, and served as an initial benchmark for his physical progress. His presence in China was part of a broader strategy to meticulously manage his comeback, ensuring he met specific physical markers before re-entering the higher-stakes environment of North American professional basketball.

Related News :

• College Football Recruiting: Week 11 Ignites Flip Battles and Program Reshuffles Ahead of Early Signing Period.
• UFC Fight Night Vancouver: De Ridder Aims for Title Shot Audition Against Allen in Pivotal Middleweight Clash
• College Football Witnesses Unprecedented Power Shift as Indiana, Vanderbilt, and Virginia Headline Week 9 Triumphs.
• Dodgers go up 2-0 in NLCS on Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s gem; NBA’s Top 100; Pete Prisco’s NFL Power Rankings
• Manchester City Dominates Liverpool 3-0 as Guardiola Marks 1,000th Game with Statement Victory

Throughout his 10-year NBA career, Victor Oladipo has compiled an impressive statistical resume, averaging 16.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game on 44% shooting from the field. His career began auspiciously as the second overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic after a standout collegiate career at Indiana University. After three seasons with the Magic, he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, playing one season alongside Russell Westbrook. It was during his subsequent tenure with the Indiana Pacers, following a trade in 2017, that Oladipo truly ascended to stardom.

In the 2017-18 season, Oladipo experienced a breakout year, averaging a career-high 23.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and an NBA-leading 2.4 steals per game. His exceptional two-way play earned him his first All-Star selection, an All-NBA Third Team nod, and the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. He also received an All-Defensive First Team selection, cementing his status as one of the league’s premier perimeter defenders. He followed this up with another All-Star selection in the 2018-19 season, averaging 18.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists before his season was cut short by the devastating right quadriceps tendon rupture on January 23, 2019. This injury required reconstructive surgery and kept him out of action for over a year, significantly impacting his momentum and the Pacers’ championship aspirations.

The subsequent years saw Oladipo battle to regain his form, enduring multiple rehabilitation periods and a series of trades that took him from the Pacers to the Houston Rockets, and then to the Miami Heat. Despite his efforts, he struggled to consistently replicate his All-Star level of play. His stints with the Rockets and Heat were marked by flashes of his former brilliance, particularly on the defensive end, but also by recurring injury concerns and limited availability. His most recent full season with the Heat in 2022-23 saw him average 10.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 42 regular-season games, showcasing his ability to contribute as a rotational guard and defensive presence before the patellar tendon injury ended his season.

The Wisconsin Herd, based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, serves as the exclusive G League affiliate for the Milwaukee Bucks. The G League plays a crucial role in player development, offering a competitive platform for young prospects to hone their skills, for two-way contract players to shuttle between the NBA and G League, and for veterans like Oladipo to rehabilitate and showcase their capabilities. For Oladipo, joining the Herd provides a professional, structured environment with access to the Bucks’ medical and training staff, allowing for a carefully monitored return to full basketball activities. It offers a tangible pathway for evaluation, where he can demonstrate his mobility, explosiveness, and shooting touch in a live-game setting, away from the intense scrutiny and pressure of immediate NBA competition.

The Milwaukee Bucks, currently navigating the Eastern Conference landscape, maintain a strong interest in evaluating potential roster enhancements. While Oladipo’s immediate future lies with the Herd, a successful return to form could theoretically open avenues for consideration by the parent club, especially given his established defensive prowess and playmaking ability. The Bucks’ current roster features a blend of veteran leadership and developing talent, and while guard depth is present, a healthy Oladipo could, in theory, offer additional defensive versatility and shot creation off the bench. However, any potential move to the NBA roster would be contingent on his ability to demonstrate sustained health and high-level performance with the Herd, a significant hurdle for any player returning from a major injury.

The G League’s operational structure, including the player pool and waiver priority system, facilitates such transactions. When a player with Oladipo’s NBA experience enters the G League player pool, teams can claim their rights. The subsequent trade for a draft pick allows the initial claiming team (Santa Cruz) to gain an asset, while the acquiring team (Wisconsin) secures the player’s G League rights, aligning them with their NBA affiliate. The 2027 G League first-round pick exchanged in this trade holds value within the developmental league for future roster building.

For Victor Oladipo, this move represents more than just a transaction; it is a critical juncture in a career defined by resilience. His commitment to returning to the court after two major leg injuries speaks to his unwavering dedication to the sport. The Wisconsin Herd will provide the stage for Oladipo to prove that he can still contribute at a high level. His performance in the coming weeks and months will be closely monitored by scouts and executives across the NBA, as he attempts to complete what would be one of the most remarkable comeback stories in recent league history. The path back to the NBA is arduous, but for Oladipo, joining the Herd is the necessary first step on that journey.

💬 Tinggalkan Komentar dengan Facebook

Author Profile

Ali Akbar Rosady

Latest entries

• MMANovember 10, 2025College Football Playoff Contenders Face Scrutiny as Week 11 Exposes Critical Flaws and Sharpens Postseason Outlook.
• MMANovember 10, 2025Luke Rockhold Casts Doubt on Severity of Kevin Holland’s Groin Strikes at UFC Vancouver
• MMANovember 9, 2025Veteran Guard Victor Oladipo Commences Comeback Effort with Milwaukee Bucks’ G League Affiliate, Wisconsin Herd
• MMANovember 9, 2025Manchester City Dominates Liverpool 3-0 as Guardiola Marks 1,000th Game with Statement Victory