After he was waived by the Portland Trailblazers in 2012, Greg Oden was determined to get his NBA life back during the 2013-14 season.
As a free agent, the seven-footer looked at three teams: Sacramento, Dallas, and Miami. Oden visited all three cities before choosing which one to play for. His first trip was to Sacramento, but he did not find their offer well after their contract stipulated that Odom play 75 games per season, which was not feasible given his injury history.
Dallas was another story as Greg now looks at it as a missed opportunity.
"Mark Cuban…What could've been? That MF said 'Look we'll give you one year, second year player option and we don't even want you to play the first year.' So think about how stupid I am," said Oden.
Oden got 'stuck' in Miami
Entering the 2013-14 season, Oden had not played an NBA game since 2009 due to injuries. He had appeared in only 82 games since the Portland Trailblazers selected him first overall in the 2007 NBA Draft.
Given his condition, the Mavericks ' offer was already perfect for Oden as it would allow him to slowly break himself back into the game and not put too much pressure on his body. However, because he still had one pitch to listen to, he proceeded with going to Miami and ended up signing with the Heat.
"And then I go to Miami and I'm sitting there," added the retired center. "They promise the same thing. I'm like I'm in this hotel for three days. 'Hey, where is this contract at? Sign this MF' and 'We still working on it'. Day five, but I'm still in Miami though. That's how they got me. I was like, 'Just give me a one-year deal.'"
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He ended up playing 23 games for the Heat
There were high hopes for Oden in Miami, given the Heat 's history of developing players and strong culture. But after attempts to make him a starter early in the season, he was lost in the rotation and suited up for 23 games while playing just 9.2 minutes per outing.
Oden's stint with Miami turned out to be his last in the NBA. He played in China during the 2015-16 campaign before announcing his retirement. Looking back, however, perhaps things could have unfolded differently if he signed with the Mavericks instead of the Heat.
Although getting healthy was still an issue for him in South Beach, the Mavs back then had one of the best medical teams in the league. Led by team doctor T.O. Souryal and Team USA athletic trainer Casey Smith, Dallas helped Tyson Chandler blossom into a defensive force after missing 68 total games in the two previous seasons before he went to Dallas. Perhaps this is the 'what could have been' that Oden was talking about during his interview.
Related: Greg Oden wished he had played more with Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge: "I wish I was healthy enough to build what Portland had"
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