Victor Oladipo Wants Back In: What His Comeback Bid Means for Fantasy
The former No. 2 pick hasn't played since April 2023, but a Players' Tribune letter says his body is finally right. Here's the roster reality.
No signing, no minutes projected — nothing to draft until he lands somewhere.
- Oladipo hasn't played an NBA game since April 2023
- No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft
- Torn left patellar tendon ended his last playoff run
- Ruptured right quad in 2019 capped him at 42 games max
- Free agent list includes Curry's brother Seth and Kevin Love
Victor Oladipo isn't waiting for the phone to ring — he's shouting into the void. The No. 2 overall pick from the 2013 draft published an open letter through The Players' Tribune saying his body is finally right and that he still has winning basketball left in him. He's asking, plainly, for one more shot to prove it heading into the 2026-27 season.
The math is brutal. Oladipo hasn't logged an NBA minute since tearing the patellar tendon in his left knee during an April 2023 playoff game with the Heat. Add the ruptured right quad from 2019, and he hasn't cleared 42 games in a season since. That's the hill a 30-something guard is trying to climb with zero guaranteed spot on any roster.
The Broader Free Agent Board
Oladipo is far from the only recognizable name still floating. Kevin Love, 37, spent last season mostly mentoring on the rebuilding Jazz and could still spot-space for a contender if he decides to lace up. Nicolas Batum wants to stay in the NBA rather than head overseas, Bruce Brown is looking for a home after a career-best 38.5% from three, and Seth Curry — cut then re-signed by Golden State on Dec. 1, 2025 — is back in limbo alongside his brother Steph.
The Fantasy Angle
None of these guys move your draft board yet, and that's the point. Even Luke Kornet, one of the few names here with actual verified production, was buried behind Victor Wembanyama last season — he finished 2025-26 with 20.8 fantasy points per game (our rank #197 overall, #38 at center) across 68 games. Kornet at least has a role; Oladipo doesn't have a jersey.
For context on what a real needle-mover looks like: Wembanyama posted 53.4 fantasy points per game in 2025-26 (our rank #3 overall) and Steph Curry averaged 39.7 in 43 games (our rank #36). Veteran comeback fliers live several tiers below that reality, and they don't produce fantasy value until they sign somewhere with real minutes attached.
Bottom line: leave Oladipo on the wire. A comeback letter is a story, not a stat line, and there's no projection to lean on until a team commits. Watch for a signing and a defined role — that's the only trigger that turns this from a feel-good headline into a waiver-wire conversation.
