NBA Rumors: Indiana Pacers To Sign Lance Stephenson In NBA Free Agency?
Just two short years ago, Lance Stephenson was a budding star for the Indiana Pacers, and his future looked incredibly bright. Unfortunately, he made the decision to leave the Pacers and sign with the Charlotte Hornets in free agency. He was ultimately traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, and then they dealt him to the Memphis Grizzlies in the middle of last season.
Memphis decided to decline his option, and he will enter unrestricted free agency this offseason. He will have a chance to sign with a team of his choosing once again and could end up heading back to the team that he shouldn’t have left in the first place.
Rumors are beginning to fly around on Twitter that the Pacers need to sign Stephenson.
Pacers need Lance Stephenson back. He's the Modern day John Starks kryptonite to LeBron
— Standeford (@mstandeford) June 27, 2016
Perhaps the most interesting part of this entire rumor is that Stephenson has gone on his official Twitter account and liked tweets asking him to come back to Indiana and a highlight mix tape of a previous season with the Pacers.
Last season, after being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, Stephenson ended up averaging 14.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. He shot 47.4 percent from the field overall and knocked down 35.5 percent from behind the three-point arc. Those numbers show a few different ways that Stephenson could help the Pacers in his return.
First of all, it was obvious last season that the Pacers needed to find energy. They looked dead during half of their games and lost some big games because of that laziness. Stephenson doesn’t play lazy at all, as can be seen from his past seasons with Indiana.
At 25-years-old, Stephenson would be a very solid signing for the Pacers. He would take over the backup shooting guard role from Rodney Stuckey and could allow Indiana to make a trade involving Stuckey.
Kevin Pritchard talked about wanting playmakers on the floor at any point in the course of a game. If he were to bring in Stephenson, he would have yet another playmaker to rely on.
There is no question that Stephenson loves the city of Indianapolis and would be interested in a return. It would all depend on whether Larry Bird would be willing to bring him back. Stephenson made the choice to leave town despite a fair offer from the Pacers, and that could be a grudge for Bird.
Needless to say, the Pacers’ fan base is buzzing about the possibility of Stephenson returning to town. He was a fan favorite during his first tenure with the team and helped lead Indiana to two Eastern Conference Finals appearances. Stephenson would be welcomed back with open arms should the Pacers’ front office get him locked up to a new deal.
Paul George would also be happy to have his former running mate back in town. He had great chemistry with Stephenson, and bringing him back would give George more support.
It will be interesting to see what the Pacers do throughout the rest of the NBA offseason. Bird has already made two huge moves by trading for Jeff Teague and Thaddeus Young. Adding another piece or two would make them a serious contender in the Eastern Conference against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Stephenson is certainly intriguing to think about, but there will be other teams interested in signing him as well. Memphis still could re-sign him, but the Pacers are certainly a team to keep an eye on.
Do you think the Indiana Pacers should try to sign Lance Stephenson this offseason in free agency? Would he pick up where he left off in Indiana? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!
[Photo by Brandon Dill/AP Images]
