Two days after the deal went public, …

Two days after the deal went public, the mechanics of the trade were finalized. Pacers staff returned to the gym to watch the summer league team in action, an effort—perhaps in vain—to return to normalcy. When they arrived, they found Oladipo already there, ready in support of his new teammates. The new face of the franchise made his way over to Pritchard and Buchanan to let them know he had heard the waves of criticism in response to the deal. “Trust me,” Oladipo told them, “you guys made the right decision.”