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INDIANAPOLIS – As if Victor Oladipo’s on-the-court presence wasn’t enough of a recruiting chip, he’s ready to be vocal in making pitches to attract free agents this summer.
July is here and that means free agency is underway in the NBA.
The Pacers, unlike most playoff teams, have money to spend in free agency.
Oladipo is ready to recruit.
“I am going to (recruit),” the All-Star shooting guard says. “Whoever I run into I’m going to mention it. Whether it’s LeBron, Kawhi or whoever, because at the end of the day I think we can do something special.”
When it comes to Oladipo’s pitch, he isn’t too concerned with convincing free agents of what the Pacers have on the court.
It’s more stressing what current Pacers point to as such a critical reason for their surprising success in 2017-18.
“I think the biggest thing that I tell guys who might ask is we’ve created a different type of culture here of positive vibes, feathery vibes only,” Oladipo says. “I think that’s unique, because I’ve never been part of a team like that or an organization like that. It’s positive from the bottom up. That’s the culture and that’s what you want to be a part of.
“Yes, it’s work. Yes, it’s our job. But before that, it was our love. It was the love of our lives. We played basketball for fun. You can’t lose that joy, no matter what situation you are in. I know guys told the story of we would lose 2, 3 games in a row (last season) and I would come in and I’m like, ‘It’s going to be okay with positive vibes.’ Because I believe if you give positive vibes, you get positive vibes out of it. That’s what it’s all about here. It’s not like that everywhere. Guys know that. If they want to come be part of something bigger than themselves, come to Indiana.”
Indiana should be an appealing situation for players seeking out a team on solid foundation, with the possibility of becoming a championship-level type bunch in the coming years.
That comment would have been laughable this time last year.
But it’s the truth, and something that Kevin Pritchard agreed with as the Pacers made their way to a 48-way season this past year.
“We will be aggressive at the appropriate time,” Pritchard said after not making a trade deadline deal back in February. “We will use Victor, Myles (Turner) and (Domantas) Sabonis as major attractions. That, along with our practice facility, which is world class, and our medical staff, which is the best in the business.
“We are an attractive destination. We might not be a beach city, but if you want to become a better basketball player come here, work on yourself, become a better basketball player, be part of a culture that you are put first, then we can do that.”
