Greg Oden (knee) didn't go through Wednesday's shootaround and he's not expected to play vs. the Pacers.

The Heat are widely thought to have signed Oden to combat Roy Hibbert and the Pacers for supremacy in the East, but it won't happen on Wednesday. On a positive note, Erik Spoelstra did confirm this week that Oden is still part of Miami's plans this season.

Greg Oden (knee) is getting stronger in his legs according to coach Erik Spoelstra.

Oden has still yet to play this season and while this news doesn't provide any update to this timetable, it's nice to know that the oft-injured big man is staying healthy. The Heat are chugging along at 9-3 and won't rush Oden's return, so he's a fantasy non-factor until further notice.

Greg Oden (knee) did not travel with the Heat to Toronto for Tuesday's game against the Raptors.

This news isn't a surprise as the Heat have been approaching Oden's rehab extremely cautiously. Oden may very well be a factor for the Heat at some point this season, but even if that does happen, it isn't within a timeline that fantasy owners need to be paying attention to right now.

Greg Oden (knee) is inactive for Tuesday's season opener.

It was nice to see him of the court during the preseason for four minutes, but the Heat justifiably won't be putting their new free agent out on the court much for a while. Oden is very unlikely to have much of an impact for at least a couple months.

Greg Oden is not expected to play vs. the Bulls on Tuesday.

He was held out of Sunday's scrimmage but was able to get some preseason action under his belt, and should make his regular-season debut fairly soon. Miami will ease him into the rotation, and a minute-limit is all but guaranteed, so his fantasy upside is severely limited.

Greg Oden is listed as doubtful for Friday's preseason finale.

It's going to be a slow roll with Oden's knees going forward, as the Heat are simply hoping he can play 10 minutes a game, while also getting plenty of nights off. The good news is that he's yet to suffer a setback and could be ready to play in the Heat's opener on Tuesday.

Greg Oden made his return to game action on Wednesday and had two points and two boards in four minutes against the Pelicans.

It's been 1,418 days since Oden was last on a basketball court playing in front of an audience and he was able to throw down a dunk on his first touch. He did look a little rusty on defense and his lateral quickness clearly isn't there yet. It's great that he's on the way back, but he's still not worth drafting in almost any league.

Greg Oden (knees) sat out of practice on Wednesday due to a little swelling.

He did some 5-on-5 work earlier this week, but he's nowhere near being back to 100 percent. Oden still has a long way to go to becoming a contributor for Miami, so there's little reason to draft him in almost any format.

Greg Oden (knee) did some 5-on-5 work during Monday's practice, but he remains without a timetable to return.

It's all about baby-steps for Oden, who lest we forget hasn't played in an NBA game since December 2009. There's no reason to draft him in fantasy leagues, and he belongs on the waiver wire until we have some semblance of a return date.

Greg Oden (knees) could be cleared for 5-on-5 workouts next week.

It's a big step for Oden and he's trying to make his way on the court. Oden is also hoping to be ready for a preseason game, which suggests he could be ready to start the season. The Heat will obviously take it easy on him, so don't expect him to get more than 18 minutes per game until he can sustain some level of health for an extended period of time.

Greg Oden (knees) will not be a part of Miami's scrimmage on Sunday.

He still doesn't have a timetable to return and the team has restricted him from contact in practice. It's going to be a while before we see Oden get enough minutes to be a factor in standard fantasy leagues.

Greg Oden (knees) is still without a timetable, according to coach Erik Spoelstra.

"It's day-by-day, that's how we're viewing it," Spoelstra said. "The most important thing is getting his body strong, healthy. We'll work on conditioning as we go. It's not even going to be an issue of a day-to-day report with him." Reading between the lines, it sounds like Oden still has a long way to go before joining the rotation. Since his minutes are likely to be capped for much of the year, it's hard to draft him in fantasy leagues.

Greg Oden (knees) was limited in practice on Tuesday.

He tried to get into some contact portions of the practice, but the training staff wouldn't let that happen. "They had to pull me off today. I wanted to go out there and do it, but I've got to take steps," Oden said. The former top pick is going to take it slow through camp and he's unlikely to be ready to start the season. He carries too much risk to take in standard leagues.

Greg Oden (knees) said he will continue "taking it slow" during training camp, and won't increase his activity until he's cleared by Heat trainers Jay Sabol and Rey Jaffet.

"I do a little bit, do a little bit of up and down, but we're not trying to wear out the knee," Oden said. Udonis Haslem echoed the prevailing sentiment, saying, "We're going to bring [Oden] along slowly. There's no rush. It's a long season. We've got a lot of depth, so we'll let him take his time." Simply put, fantasy owners should avoid Oden on draft day.

The Miami Heat were "not necessarily pleased" about Greg Oden's press conference a month ago declaring he finished rehabbing and was cleared to play, according to Ira Winderwman.

Winderman, a dialed-in beat writer, believes that the team wants to keep Oden's status a bit of a secret and added his status "will remain as much a mystery under contract as he was during his three seasons away from the game." Miami is going to handle Oden with kid gloves and he will likely be eased into a role with the team.

Greg Oden's contract with the Heat is for just one year and has no option for a second year, from either the team or the player, as was previously reported.

This news has no fantasy implications, but it is interesting that Oden's financial future truly hinges on only the upcoming season. It remains to be seen how many minutes he can handle, or how many games his knees will allow him to play in. And even though there is some potential that he could rack up some points, boards and blocks this season, the potential reward is heavily outweighed by the risk that comes with drafting him.

Greg Oden's two-year deal with the Heat is worth just $2.173 million.

It's actually a one-year deal with a player option in year two. So if Oden surprises everyone by sustaining health and contributing to the defending champs, he'll have a chance to get paid much more in 2014-15. Although Oden was able to play three consecutive games of full-court, 4-on-4 last week, he's keeping expectations low. "My body is not going to be (like it was) when I was 18 and able to run all day and jump over people. I can't do that. It's just not going to happen. My knees, the wear and tear, I understand that."

Greg Oden conceded that his return to NBA action "will be a long process."

His oft-injured knees will require "maintenance" for the rest of his life. "If I play five minutes, and I step off the court and I'm healthy, and I'm able to play the next game, that's what I'm worried about," he said. "For me, that would be the biggest smile on my face, being able to play in games." Our hopes are high but our expectations are low for his return with the Heat this season.

Greg Oden's doctor from his 2012 surgery told him to be a "regular person" and to quit professional basketball.

"After that surgery in 2012, my last surgery, the doctor said, 'Just be a regular person, go live life. Be a regular person. You would be perfectly fine walking out of this place and not have to worry about any rehab or anything,'" Oden said. His story has been disappointing to say the least, so credit the former top pick in having the strength to pursue his passion. He added he's "very excited" to be with Miami and wants to win a ring with LeBron James.

Alonzo Mourning said he is "extremely excited" to work with Greg Oden this season.

"I think we all, as an organization, are looking forward to working with him, developing him, so that he can be a part of this organization for years to come," Mourning said. Mourning is the Miami Heat's Vice President of Player Programs and Development, and helped the team win their NBA Championship in 2006. Oden is still rehabbing his knees and it is unknown when he will make his return to the court. With so many question marks surrounding him, fantasy owners should look elsewhere for big men on draft day.