Indiana Pacers star Victor Oladipo quelled concerns from Pacers fans on Friday, denying a report that he requested to be traded and asserting his focus on succeeding with his current team.
"I know there have been people saying that I have asked players to trade for me," Oladipo told Shams Charania of The Athletic. "That's just not true, period. I love my teammates, I cherish the state of Indiana and I'm focused on leading this franchise to a title."
On Thursday, a story from J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star noted that Oladipo voiced an interest in playing elsewhere during games.
Specifically, while playing the Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat and New York Knicks, Oladipo reportedly asked, “Can I come play with y’all?"
As Sportsnet's Steven Loung wrote Thursday, Oladipo’s contract is set to expire at the end of this coming season and it’s possible he might be frustrated that extension talks haven’t picked up the way he might have thought they would.
Moreover, the impact of his ruptured quad injury (suffered in January 2019) might have cost him a shot at a max contract, which he appeared to be in line for after his first season in Indiana.
Oladipo, who played his college ball at Indiana University, has averaged 20.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game in three seasons with the Pacers.
