Free agent wing Lance Stephenson will work out for the Pelicans, reports Brett Dawson of The Advocate (via Twitter). It’s not yet clear when that workout will take place, or how serious New Orleans’ interest in Stephenson is.
The Pelicans still appear to monitoring the free agent market closely, despite having 15 players with guaranteed salaries on their roster. An earlier report indicated that the team was preparing to meet with Ty Lawson this week before the veteran point guard received – and accepted – a contract offer from the Kings.
Stephenson, who turns 26 next Monday, spent the first four years of his NBA career in Indiana, and enjoyed a breakout year for the Pacers in 2013/14, averaging 13.8 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 4.6 APG, while shooting .391/.352/.711. However, he has regressed over the last two years, failing to find an ideal role during stints with the Hornets, Clippers, and Grizzlies.
Stephenson’s end-of-season run in Memphis this past year was the best he had looked since his Indiana days, as he earned consistent minutes on an injury-plagued Grizzlies squad and averaged 14.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 2.8 APG. Still, he doesn’t appear to have received much NBA interest this summer, with one report this month suggesting he may end up playing overseas. Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe, the author of that report, wrote that Stephenson has the talent to play in the NBA, but his personality may be scaring teams away.
[RELATED: New Orleans Pelicans’ depth chart at RosterResource.com]
The Pelicans currently have Langston Galloway, Buddy Hield, E’Twaun Moore, and Tyreke Evans on tap to earn minutes at the two, while Solomon Hill, Alonzo Gee, and Quincy Pondexter are expected to be in the mix at the three. Of course, many of those players are capable of playing other positions or may not see a ton of playing time, so there still could be room on the wing for Stephenson.