Lance Stephenson: Why The Pacers Should Acquire Him

Why should the Indiana Pacers do everything they can to bring Lance Stephenson back via trade?

The Indiana Pacers and Lance Stephenson entered last offseason with a mutual desire to get a new deal done that would keep him around long-term, but that isn’t what ended up happening. Larry Bird and the Pacers offered him a five-year deal, and gave him a deadline to decide whether or not he wanted to accept it. Unfortunately, that backfired and Stephenson ended up signing with the Charlotte Hornets for a three-year contract.

Now, just four short months later the Hornets are unhappy with what they have received from Stephenson. He hasn’t played very well consistently with the Hornets, and the team as a whole has been extremely disappointing.

Rumors have begun flying around that Stephenson is available via trade, and as of today the Hornets are allowed to trade him. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports dropped one of his famous huge tweet reports on the NBA world yesterday, reporting that the Indiana Pacers were in talks with the Hornets to re-acquire Stephenson and bring him back home.

Larry Bird has been a huge fan of Stephenson’s since he brought him to the Pacers, and it appears that he wants to bring him back. If the Pacers are truly waiting on the Hornets to add a first-round pick into the deal in order to make a move, it isn’t going to happen.

While the Hornets would like to move Stephenson for a piece or two with value for them as they look to compete now, they aren’t going to give away a first round pick with their record being the way that it is. Indiana has some pieces that could interest the Hornets such as Solomon Hill, C.J. Miles, Luis Scola, and possibly a Lavoy Allen. Those guys are all pieces that the Pacers value, but getting Stephenson back would be worth it to unload one or two of those players.

So what makes Stephenson so worth it for the Pacers to re-acquire after his start in Charlotte?

Quite simply, he knows how to play in Indiana with Frank Vogel’s system. One of his biggest issues currently with the Hornets is not understanding how to play with his new teammates in a new system. Bringing him back to Indiana would give him the chance to get back to playing the way that made him successful.

That being said, there are some issues that could arise between him and Roy Hibbert. Obviously the issues that those two had with each other last year would be a concern, but re-building the team that took them to two straight Eastern Conference Finals would be a good idea.

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His playmaking would be much welcomed in Indiana, as would his ability to get to the rim and score. Simply having his energy would be a plus as well, and his attitude and ability to bring fans to their feet would be good as well.

All of that being said, things are lining up for Stephenson to return to Indiana in the near future if the Pacers want to make a deal. Bird could figure out how to make a trade if the Pacers wanted to, and it could just be a matter of time. Stephenson would likely welcome a return to Indiana as well, as he has seen that the grass is not always greener on the other side.

Expect to hear more rumors surrounding Stephenson over the next few weeks, especially if the Hornets continue to struggle. Indiana is a legitimate contender to swoop in and acquire Stephenson, and it would be the right move for both sides.

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