Victor Oladipo was traded during the month of June during each of the past two years. First, Oladipo was traded by the Orlando Magic to the Oklahoma City Thunder and again by the Thunder to the Indiana Pacers.
Oladipo was informed of the trade by a friend, who had read about it on Twitter.
"Being traded twice in [that timespan], it makes you feel like people don't want you," Oladipo says now. "You start second-guessing yourself. Doubt starts to creep in a bit."
The trade the Pacers made for Paul George was widely criticized as Oladipo had disappointed in his lone season with the Thunder.
"Of course it bothers me," Oladipo said of the criticism of the deal. "But people's opinions, they are what they are. I can't control that. All I can control is how hard I work."
Nate McMillan expressed to Oladipo how the Pacers were viewing him as a potential centerpiece of their rebuild.
"By making this move, management is saying they're going to build around you," McMillan recalls telling Oladipo. "But I don't want you to put any added pressure on yourself. So do your thing, play freely, and we'll figure out how you begin leading this organization."
Oladipo is averaging 23 points per game while shooting a career high 47.4 percent from the field.
"I feel like I'm in a very comfortable situation now—the most comfortable I've ever been since I've been in the NBA," Oladipo says. "Sometimes, a player might not be in the best situation, but people will still label you and judge you regardless."
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