Since landing the big fish of the free agency with the agreed upon four-year, $154 million deal with All-Star forward LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers have added a few other veteran players to the mix next season. One of which is forward Lance Stephenson who came to terms on a one-year deal that will approximately be worth roughly more than $4 million.
However, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN voiced that he is wary that the team could look to move Stephenson back to the Indiana Pacers as he has proven to be difficult to handle in each of his other landing spots away from that franchise.
Woj: Charlotte was calling Indiana trying to trade Lance Stephenson back to the Pacers three weeks after signing him. Hypothesized/speculated the Lakers will be calling Indiana to take him back in November or December.
— Sagar Trika (@BlazersBySagar) July 4, 2018
There is much credence to this notion given that he has had his most successful years in the league as a member of the Pacers. Once he decided to leave, he had a difficult time latching onto any other team such as the Charlotte Hornets, L.A. Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Memphis Grizzlies.
In fact, his stint with each of those organizations was no longer than a season as he had made his way back to Indiana over the last year and a half. He has a track record of being at times difficult to handle that has seen him bounce around the league over the past several campaigns that even led to the Pacers to decide not to pick up his player option for next season.
This is an opportunity in front of Stephenson to finally latch onto a team to prove that he can be a reliable piece of the puzzle while helping the Lakers achieve much success on the court. It is also a unique chance for him to play alongside James for the first time in his career, which is something that could help motivate him to make sure things wind up well. That said, only time will tell how everything works out.
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