Victor Oladipo is not asking the NBA to remember who he used to be. He is asking teams to find out who he can still become.

At 34, with multiple major knee injuries behind him and three years away from NBA action, Oladipo knows exactly how difficult his comeback attempt looks from the outside.

That is why his latest move is so significant.

The two-time All-Star has publicly appealed to NBA general managers for another opportunity, saying he believes his body is finally healthy and that he still has meaningful basketball left to give. His message came through an open letter published by The Players’ Tribune on September 1.

This is not simply another veteran looking for a training-camp invitation.

For Oladipo, it is an attempt to reopen a chapter that injuries nearly closed.

Victor Oladipo’s NBA comeback is about more than basketball

Oladipo entered the NBA as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, selected by the Orlando Magic. But his career truly took off after he arrived in Indiana.

During the 2017-18 season, Oladipo became an All-Star and won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award after averaging 23.1 points per game. He was no longer viewed simply as an athletic young guard with potential. He had become one of the most important two-way players in the Eastern Conference.

Then everything changed.

In January 2019, Oladipo suffered a ruptured right quadriceps tendon. He eventually returned to the court, but his body never gave him the uninterrupted stretch he needed to fully reclaim his previous level.

Another major setback came in April 2023, when he suffered a torn left patellar tendon while playing for the Miami Heat. That injury effectively ended his most recent NBA chapter.

Oladipo has not appeared in an NBA game since the 2022-23 season.

Now he wants another chance.

He has already started proving his case

Oladipo’s comeback attempt did not begin with his letter.

He has spent the past several years working toward a return, including time in the G League. He also participated in a private workout in Las Vegas during NBA Summer League in July, where NBA front-office personnel were present.

That workout matters because NBA teams have had an opportunity to see him in person.

The question is no longer simply whether Oladipo wants to return.

The question is whether an NBA team believes his current version can help a roster.

That distinction could determine everything.

Why NBA teams may still hesitate

Oladipo’s résumé is not the problem.

His health history is.

The player who became an All-Star in Indiana is now 34 years old. He has missed significant stretches because of serious injuries, and teams have to evaluate what he can realistically provide over an NBA season rather than what he accomplished at his peak. Reuters notes that he has not played more than 42 games in a season since 2017-18.

For an NBA front office, signing Oladipo would therefore be a calculated gamble.

Can he defend at an NBA level?

Can he handle the physical demands of an 82-game schedule?

Can he contribute without needing a large offensive role?

And perhaps most importantly, can he stay healthy when the intensity rises?

Those are questions that no open letter can answer.

Only the court can.

The best version of a comeback may not look like the old Victor Oladipo

This could be the most important part of Oladipo’s situation.

He does not necessarily need to return as the 23-point-per-game All-Star who dominated for Indiana.

That player may be gone.

But an NBA team may not need that player either.

A veteran guard who can defend, make smart decisions, provide leadership and give a team reliable minutes can still have value. Oladipo’s career numbers — 16.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game across 504 NBA games — show that he has already demonstrated the ability to impact games in several ways.

The challenge is proving that some of those abilities are still there.

Training camp could be his biggest opportunity

The timing of Oladipo’s push is important.

NBA teams will soon begin making final decisions about their rosters and training-camp invitations for the 2026-27 season. That gives him a relatively narrow window to convince a team that he deserves a place.

He may not need a guaranteed long-term contract.

A training-camp invitation could be enough.

From there, his performance, health and ability to fit into a team’s system would determine what happens next.

That may actually be the most realistic path back to the NBA.

Could Victor Oladipo actually make it back?

Yes — but there is a big difference between being healthy enough to play basketball and being valuable enough to earn an NBA roster spot.

Oladipo’s history gives him a legitimate argument. He has been an All-Star, an All-Defensive Team selection and a Most Improved Player. He has also experienced the highest level of playoff basketball.

But NBA teams are not signing the player he was in 2018.

They are evaluating the player he is in 2026.

That is why his comeback story remains so intriguing.

If a team believes his defense, experience, leadership and competitiveness can outweigh the uncertainty surrounding his health, Oladipo could get another NBA opportunity.

If teams remain unconvinced, his open letter may ultimately become a powerful final statement rather than the beginning of another NBA chapter.

For now, though, Oladipo has made his position clear.

He believes he is healthy.

He believes he can still help a winning team.

And after everything his body has put him through, he is asking the NBA for one simple thing: a chance to prove it.