Buddy Hield is back in his sanctuary: the basketball court. Stalled contract negotiations and trade rumors aren’t taking away from his enjoyment of the grind and the competition that comes with a new season on the horizon.

“There’s nothing on my mind,” Hield said when asked about what’s on his mind with camp approaching and his future with the team uncertain. “It’s basketball; it’s fun. I approach it the same as every training camp: focused and ready to do the work. I’m excited to work with this great group of guys and start the competition because it’s fun.”

Hield said that he won’t comment on any of the extension talks with the team and will let his agent and the front office take care of those things. Buchanan told members of the media last week that those talks are “at a halt” but not necessarily done.

“We want Buddy on our team this year,” Buchanan said after reports surfaced that the Pacers were possibly looking to trade Hield after extension talks were unsuccessful. “Sometimes the business of basketball comes into play at times. … We’d like to have Buddy with us. We have no intention of trying to move Buddy … and intend to have him be a big part of our group.”

Hield said he’d like to be here long term and brought up his great relationship with Rick Carlisle and being friends with everybody on the team as reasons that he loves being in Indiana.

“He and I talk virtually every day about something,” Carlisle said of Hield—the pair both live in Dallas in the off-season. “We’ve talked extensively about his situation. I know he’s going to come in and compete. He’s a guy that has a unique ability to compartmentalize external things because of his love and focus on the game. He lives in the gym and it’s our hope that we can work out an agreement to have him here long term.”

While Hield’s time in Sacramento seemed to sour with some rumors of a distaste for coming off the bench, it does not seem like that will be an issue in Indiana for Hield though he’s certainly not just going to hand over his starting spot to his competition.

“Everybody wants to start but whatever is best for the team I’ll do,” said Hield. “I’m a competitor. That’s what Indiana is going to get. Competition is fun. The thing in the NBA is you got to compete. There’s nothing really given. It’s going to be earned. I’m up for the challenge.”

He came off the bench at the end of last season so the team could give Bennedict Mathurin valuable experience as a starter and Carlisle was impressed with how Hield performed and handled the situation.

“We’re going to play this out in training camp,” Carlisle said when asked if the plan is for Buddy to come off the bench. “It’s something that I talked to Buddy about conceptually last year and he was great about it. He’s one of these guys that can come off the bench and hit five shots in a row. It brings up natural questions about minutes, shots, and value and all of that kind of stuff. We just have to have faith that all that stuff will work its way out and that the basketball gods will shine down upon this thing the way that they should.”

Hield changed his number to seven this off-season and started his media availability by giving a shoutout to Jermaine O’Neal and explaining why he chose to switch to that number.

Hield also seemed highly energized by his time with the Bahamas national team as they won a pre-Olympic qualifying tournament that will give his country the chance to qualify for the Olympics next summer.

“It was the greatest feeling,” Hield said about the success the Bahamas had this summer. “It’s a feeling that I can’t really explain. It just brings so much enjoyment. It’s not about the money or the accolades. It’s just country pride. It’s fun and I can’t wait to do it again.”