Don’t count on Victor Oladipo to start the season with any team besides the Pacers. Speaking today to reporters, including Michael McCleary of The Indianapolis Star, president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said that Oladipo and agent Aaron Turner have both expressed that the standout guard is fully committed to the franchise.
“I think it took some time for (Oladipo) to think about what are his goals,” Pritchard said on Wednesday. “I got a call from his agent yesterday and it’s the same thing, ‘Can’t wait to get to camp, can’t wait to show that he’s healthy and that he’s 100% committed.’ And I have to take people at their word.”
Oladipo has been the subject of trade rumors for several months, with one report even suggesting that he’d asked members of other teams last season if he could come play for them. A report earlier today confirmed that the Bucks and Pacers discussed a possible Oladipo trade earlier in the offseason.
However, the 28-year-old publicly committed to the organization less than two weeks ago and Pritchard sounds satisfied with where things stand. The Pacers’ top basketball executive told reporters today, including McCleary, that the two-time All-Star has formed a strong relationship with new head coach Nate Bjorkgren and that he thinks that could be “a major factor in “chang(ing) the tide in terms of what (Oladipo) feels about us.”
Here’s more out of Indiana:
- The Pacers have 13 players on guaranteed contracts and will keep the last two roster spots open to encourage competition, Pritchard said today (Twitter link via J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star).
- Pritchard said the Pacers pursued Gordon Hayward in free agency “as hard as we possibly could” (Twitter link via Michael). He added that he was transparent with the Pacers players who were discussed in Hayward sign-and-trade scenarios, so there were no surprises when those names were leaked (Twitter link via Michael).
- Addressing the Hayward situation further, Pritchard said “it hurt a little” to miss out on the forward, since “the feedback was he wanted to be here.” Ultimately though, the Pacers didn’t feel comfortable matching the Celtics’ asking price in a sign-and-trade deal. “It can’t come at a cost so debilitating that it doesn’t make sense,” Pritchard said (Twitter links via Michael).
- The Pacers are determined to play T.J. Warren at the four this season after his success there during the NBA restart, Pritchard said (Twitter link via Michael).
- According to Pritchard, the Pacers are hoping that Jeremy Lamb will be practicing by mid-December and back on the court by mid-January at the latest (Twitter link via Michael). Lamb is returning from a torn ACL suffered last February.
- In case you missed it, Indianapolis will now host the 2024 All-Star Game rather than the 2021 event, which is being postponed due to COVID-19 concerns.
Danny Ainge got greedy and now he gets nothing.
Too true, too true!
Danny was a greedy hog & didn’t get anything at the end of it, what a shame!
Yo Luke, love the site, but give the first sentence a reread..
Oladipo needs to show he’s healthy for any team to give what the Pacers must be looking for, and if he is healthy, whether they trade his expiring contract depends on whether they’re in the playoff race…. where 10 out of 15 teams are in…
It’s a real shame all the sports leagues are expanding their playoffs without adding new franchises.
Thanks, fixed that.
I’ve been coming on here and calling TJ Warren a 4 for years
So will TJ start at the four and make sabonis or turner come of the bench or will he come of the bench?
Sabonis is the star of the team with Brogdon & TJ… so it would make sense that Turner is gonna be the bench guy!
Also as it would seem that Dipo & Turner are in all the trading rumors, meanwhile the former 3 seem to be off limits!
Pacers forecast: it’s all about VO health. If he can return to pre-injury performance….pacers will win. If not, they are screwed. He is free agent soon…he should be all out….Pacers won’t pay his price….nor should they. Best case….he is healthy and some contender takes him at trading deadline.
Turner can still get 30mins as an off the bench 4-5. This may even increase his productivity. He has a couple of strong games in the playoffs.