The Indiana Pacers brought back fan-favorite Lance Stephenson on a 10-day hardship contract. Stephenson made the most of his opportunity with the Pacers, appearing in five games and making noticeable contributions for the team. Well, with the veteran's 10-day contract set to expire, the Pacers were forced to make a decision on Stephenson's future with the organization. Per Chris Haynes, the Pacers and Stephenson agreed to terms on a second 10-day hardship contract on Tuesday.

While it's no surprise that the Pacers wanted to keep Stephenson in town, the fact that they didn't sign him to a guaranteed contract for the rest of the season is somewhat unexpected. NBA insider Marc Stein reported over the weekend that the Pacers intended to sign Stephenson for the remainder of the season, but for whatever reason, the two agreed to terms on a second 10-day deal.

That doesn't mean that the team won't sign Stephenson the rest of the year when this second 10-day contract expires, so there's still a chance that the 31-year-old sticks around in Indiana for the remainder of the season.

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Across five games for the Pacers in 2021-22, Stephenson has posted averages of 7.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. He's knocked down 49% of his field-goal attempts and is converting at a 32% clip from 3-point territory across 24.4 minutes per night.

The veteran guard spent the first four years of his career with the Pacers. He has since spent time with the Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers, and Atlanta Hawks.