Victor Oladipo recovery timetable to run well into next season; Heat sign center for 15th spot

The Miami Heat and the rest of the NBA should have a better read by August on where Victor Oladipo will stand for next season.

In the wake of Oladipo’s Thursday surgery to repair a partially torn tendon in his right quadriceps, the next marker in Oladipo recovery is expected to come in August, the timeframe needed to determine whether the tendon has fully healed to the bone.

Such a timetable would coincide with the start of NBA offseason transaction period, with the 29-year-old guard to become a free agent in August.

The expectation in the wake of the procedure is that Oladipo would not be ready to return to court work until November or possibly even later, likely limiting his 2021-22 action to the second half of the season, if that.

The chances of Oladipo returning to the Heat could come down to whether the team attempts to maximize salary-cap space to sign an outside free agent, such as Kyle Lowry or, possibly, Kawhi Leonard, or instead opts to operate above the salary cap and prioritize retaining the current roster.

Oladipo was acquired by the Heat at the March 25 NBA trading deadline in exchange for Kelly Olynyk, Avery Bradley and a swap of 2022 first-round draft position. Like Oladipo, Olynyk and Bradley also are impending free agents.

Should the Heat bypass utilizing salary-cap space this summer, they then could re-sign Oladipo for small amount for 2021-22, while retaining his Bird Rights for a larger contract going forward, if the former All-Star is able to make a full recovery.

While Oladipo opted for an outside specialist, the procedure was handled after consultation with Heat physician Harlan Selesnick.

Unlike Oladipo’s previous procedure on the tendon while with the Indiana Pacers, which had him out for a calendar year until January 2020, the recovery window is not expected to be as severe. The latest procedure was considered a full repair.

Player added

In a move similar to the end of 2018-19, when the Heat added Kendrick Nunn on the final day of the season, the Heat on Friday filled the final spot on their standard 15-player roster with G League center Omer Yurtseven.

A native of Turkey, Yurtseven, 22, appeared in 14 games with the Oklahoma City Blue of the G League this season, averaging 15.2 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.36 blocks in 21.1 minutes per game, shooting .626 from the field and .381 on 3-pointers.

Yurtseven played two seasons at NC State before transferring to Georgetown, going undrafted in 2020. He previously played in Turkey.

The 7-footer now becomes available to the Heat for the team’s offseason workout program.

Playoff tickets

The Heat on Friday formally announced a postseason playoff theme of “United in Black,” with an underlying goal of using the platform “to continue the conversation around social justice.”

Individual tickets for the best-of-seven opening round will go on sale to the general public Wednesday at 2 p.m. There will be a four-ticket limit per household per game.

The Heat have been operating with a capacity of about 5,700 in 19,600-seat AmericanAirlines Arena, with that capacity expected to increase to closer to 50 percent amid relaxed pandemic restrictions.

Tickets will be available at HEAT.com, Ticketmaster.com and Ticketmaster outlets.

Maintaining last season’s social-justice campaign, the Heat will wear their Icon black uniforms as often as possible throughout the postseason.

The team again will donate proceeds from the franchise’s social justice-themed shirt collections, as well as the on-court United in Black player warm-up shirts, to local organizations serving the Black community in South Florida.

Nunn questionable

Nunn, who left Thursday night’s victory over the Philadelphia 76ers due to a sore left calf, is listed as questionable for Saturday night’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks, traveling with the team on Friday’s flight.