Lance Stephenson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Stephenson, Hawks, Wizards

December 19th, 2014 at 11:30am CST by Chuck Myron

The Heat are slumping, and they’re without Chris Bosh for the time being, but they’re still holding down a would-be playoff spot as they sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. They’ll play host to the division-leading Wizards tonight, and while we wait for that, here’s more from around the Southeast Division:

The Hornets believe that a groin injury is behind Lance Stephenson‘s decreased production this season, and that’s has helped motivate the team to back off trade talk regarding him, report Ramona Shelburne and Chris Broussard of ESPN.com. That’s even though Stephenson has had a negative effect on team chemistry, as sources tell the ESPN scribes.
The Hawks have sent Mike Muscala on D-League assignment, the team announced. Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta-Journal Constitution originally reported the news (Twitter link). Muscala spent a two-day stint in the D-League earlier this season, and he’s averaged 4.9 points in 10.0 minutes per game across eight appearances with the big club so far this year.
The frequent D-League assignments for Jordan Clarkson help prove the Wizards were wise on draft night when they acquired $1.8MM in cash in a trade that sent out the pick that the Lakers used on him, argues J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. Rasual Butler‘s play since taking the roster spot that otherwise ostensibly would have gone to Clarkson is further evidence, Michael believes.
Versatility has been a key asset for Evan Fournier, who’s helping the Magic reap much greater benefit than expected from this summer’s Arron Afflalo trade, which brought Fournier from the Nuggets, as Andrew Perna of RealGM examines.

Latest On Lance Stephenson

December 18th, 2014 at 8:22pm CST by Zachary Links

8:22pm: The Hornets have not received an offer for Stephenson that they are inclined to accept, and will “keep him for now,” Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link).

THURSDAY, 8:10am: Charlotte isn’t making any progress in its talks with Indiana, and the market in general for Stephenson is lean, Wojnarowski tweets.

TUESDAY, 1:04pm: The Heat are among the teams to have called the Hornets about the mercurial shooting guard, but there’s no traction toward a deal, since Miami doesn’t have much that would entice Charlotte, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

MONDAY, 6:28pm: Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer confirms that the Hornets are aggressively looking to move Stephenson, but his sources say that they are nowhere close to a deal.

12:51pm: The Nuggets have recently been in the mix for Stephenson, too, as Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio hears.

SUNDAY, 6:10pm: The Hornets are targeting the Pacers and Nets as destinations for Stephenson, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Wojnarowski also hears that, so far, Charlotte has shown no inclination to package a future draft pick to move Stephenson.

Stephenson’s inability to co-exist on the floor with point guard Kemba Walker is among the main reasons for the franchise’s desire to move him, according to sources who spoke with Wojnarowski. The Pacers, meanwhile, are all too familiar with Stephenson’s troubles and are acting with little urgency in the talks.

When it comes to talks with the Nets, the Hornets have been willing to consider center Brook Lopez, whom they nearly signed to an offer sheet in 2012, league sources told the Yahoo scribe. Charlotte has been open to discussing the high-priced Lopez and Joe Johnson as part of a broader Stephenson package. However, they’re not interested in Deron Williams, thanks to his sizable contract and the emergence of Walker.

4:50pm: The Nets and Clippers are researching Stephenson’s time in Charlotte but they’ve yet to show serious interest, sources tell Wojnarowski (on Twitter).

Meanwhile, the Kings are not among the teams with interest due to concerns about Stephenson, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. It’s not hard to imagine other teams having worries about the guard.

4:38pm: The Hornets will be allowed to trade Lance Stephenson starting Monday and they’re exploring their options to move him, league sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stephenson has been the subject of trade rumors for weeks now and if the Hornets can find a trade partner, their union could be coming to an end within the next couple of months.

Meanwhile, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter) hears that the Hornets and Pacers have had preliminary talks to facilitate a possible Indiana return for Stephenson, but those discussions haven’t gone far. So far, the Hornets have been unwilling to attach a first-round pick to unload Stephenson, Wojnarowski tweets. That could have enticed the Pacers to make a move, he adds.

The Hornets are only 23 games into the Stephenson era, but a disappointing 6-17 start has them antsy to make moves. They’re not in move-him-at-all-costs mode, Stein writes, but they’re ready to bail out on their gamble if the right deal presents itself. So far, Stephenson appears to be a poor fit alongside Charlotte’s established core of Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker, shooting 38.9% from the floor and going 8 for 48 from downtown. The Brooklyn native has a 10.5 PER this season, his worst since becoming a starter in 2012/13.

Late last week it was reported that four or five teams have let the Hornets know they have strong interest in acquiring the shooting guard. For his part, Stephenson wouldn’t mind returning home to join the Nets, but it remains to be seen if there’s a match there.

Eastern Notes: Pistons, Celtics, Stephenson

December 16th, 2014 at 9:14pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Despite the Pistons‘ struggles thus far this season, team owner Tom Gores is happy with the direction that team president Stan Van Gundy has the franchise heading, David Mayo of MLive.com writes. “The hardest part for me actually was Stan wants to win so bad,” Gores said. “He genuinely just wants for us to make progress. So the hardest part for me is I know everybody’s working hard, and when you’re not winning, and you’re working hard, it’s kind of tough. Maybe it’s not going to show on the court every night, but I’m personally so comfortable that he’s doing the right things every single day, and eventually, it’s going to convert to wins.”

Here’s more from the East:

The multitude of injuries the Heat have endured this season will test Pat Riley‘s patience and willingness not to sacrifice future cap space for a quick fix, Ethan Skolnick of Bleacher Report writes. Although, Miami’s lack of tradeable assets might make Riley’s decision easier than it would be otherwise, Skolnick adds.
Based on the Celtics‘ current record (8-14) and their roster composition, it’s far more likely for them to be sellers than buyers on the trade market, Brian Robb of Boston.com writes. Brandon Bass and Jeff Green are especially likely targets since the pair are putting up strong offensive numbers over the first quarter of the season, notes Robb.
As tempting as it may be for the Cavs to take a run at acquiring Lance Stephenson from the Hornets, Cleveland should steer clear of the mercurial player, Chris Fedor of The Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. Fedor asserts that Stephenson’s selfish attitude and disruptive locker room personality would far outweigh any good his skills would bring to the Cavs.
There will be numerous complications involved for the Hornets in trying to rid themselves of Stephenson, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes. This is a situation that might require patience, notes Bonnell, since teams often don’t get serious about making an equitable deal until the trade deadline is near.

Poll: Best Fit For Lance Stephenson?

December 15th, 2014 at 10:50pm CST by Alex Lee

You’ve got to give it to Lance Stephenson. Whether he’s blowing in LeBron James‘ ear or stirring up trouble elsewhere, the talented shooting guard is rarely boring. The question, however, is whether or not he’s worth the headaches that he inevitably comes with. The Hornets sure don’t seem to think so, as they’ve reportedly discussed moving him with a handful of teams in recent days.

After losing in Cleveland tonight, Charlotte is off to a disastrous 6-18 start. Stephenson has complained about his role in the offense, struggled to learn the team’s system and been generally unable to co-exist with point guard Kemba Walker. Nearly 60% of Hoops Rumors readers thought the Hornets should trade Stephenson as of two weeks ago and the team has gone 2-4 since.

It seems like Charlotte, a team that was perceived as a contender in the East as recently as a month or so ago, is ready to pull the plug on its prized offseason acquisition. If that is indeed what transpires, what team is best suited to bring aboard the polarizing Stephenson? His talent is undeniable and he is still only 24 years old, but he also brings a level of volatility that had one writer today caution the Pacers from staging a reunion.

So, of the teams he’s been linked to, which team do you think should roll the dice on Lance?

Eastern Notes: Lance, Nets, Knicks, Aldemir

December 15th, 2014 at 8:13pm CST by Alex Lee

While Pacers owner Herb Simon indicated tonight that he wouldn’t object to a deal bringing Lance Stephenson back to Indiana, he said the decision would ultimately be up to president of basketball ops Larry Bird and GM Kevin Pritchard, writes Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star. Meanwhile, Gregg Doyel of the Star opines that the Pacers would be foolish to bring back Stephenson, who has worn out his welcome with the Hornets only 23 games into the season.

We’ll just have to wait and see what happens with the former Pacer. Now let’s look at what else is going on in the Eastern Conference:

With no control over their 2015 first round draft pick, there’s no argument to be made for the Nets doing anything to their roster that might prevent them from winning, writes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. The Hawks have the right to swap first round picks with Brooklyn, potentially making a less desirable pick a positive for the Nets. Additionally, Bontemps confirms the Nets are looking at Stephenson, as we’ve already heard, as well as other options that might help to improve the team.
News that the Nets are willing to move their highest-salaried players might be an indication that owner Mikhail Prokhorov is ready to sell the team, says Ric Bucher in his latest Bucher Buzz segment. It doesn’t seem that Bucher’s information is coming from the Nets organization, but the Bleacher Report scribe says that his sources around the league are suspicious given the recent rumors coming out of Brooklyn.
Knicks coach Derek Fisher attributed some of his team’s early-season struggles to the fact that nine of his players are in the final year of their respective deals with the team, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. “You have a number of guys that are thinking about how they’re going to provide for their families and where their career is going and whether they’re going to be here or on another team and all the ramifications of those decisions,” said Fisher, whose been trying to implement the triangle offense in his first year in New York.
The Sixers will pay Furkan Aldemir $6MM over the first two years of his deal, reports Tom Moore of Calkins Media (via Twitter). Philly officially inked the Turkish big man to a four-year, $12MM deal yesterday but only the first two years of the pact are guaranteed.

Central Notes: Stephenson, Josh Smith, Bulls

December 15th, 2014 at 10:00am CST by Chuck Myron

The Central Division hasn’t been the hub of many roster moves so far this season, aside from A.J. Price‘s Cavs-to-Pacers-to-Cavs odyssey and Will Cherry‘s brief tenure in Cleveland. That figures to change before too long, since today is the first day that most offseason signees are eligible for inclusion in trades. The Cavs apparently have their eyes on a pair of Grizzlies, while the Pacers are reportedly one of multiple teams in talks to trade for Lance Stephenson, though Indiana doesn’t appear to be in any hurry to make such a move. There’s more on Stephenson amid the latest items trickling out of the Central Division:

The chance the Pacers have to bring back their old core for another run in 2015/16 and erase the mistakes they and Stephenson made in free agency this summer should lead Indiana to trade for its former shooting guard, opines Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star. Buckner thinks, after having spoken with league sources, that Stephenson would welcome a Pacers reunion.
Vincent Ellis of the Detroit Free Press doesn’t foresee a Josh Smith trade happening soon, figuring that teams would want the Pistons to attach a first-rounder to Smith’s contract, worth $40.5MM between this season and its expiration after 2016/17 (Twitter links). Kings management tried to trade for Smith this summer over the objections of soon-to-be former coach Michael Malone, but the Pistons didn’t like what Sacramento was offering.
The Bulls‘ decision to deal Luol Deng turned out to be a prudent one, as Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com writes. In the short term, the cap flexibility that Chicago freed up in the Deng deal took them out of luxury tax territory. From a broader perspective, the deal (plus the amnestying of Carlos Boozer‘s contract) gave the Bulls enough wiggle room to land Pau Gasol.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Latest On Lance Stephenson

December 11th, 2014 at 11:53am CST by Chuck Myron

Four or five teams have let the Hornets know they have strong interest in acquiring Lance Stephenson, sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM. The shooting guard wouldn’t mind if he wound up on the Nets, who are talking about trades involving their three most highly paid players, but Stephenson has made it clear to Charlotte that he wants to be part of a turnaround after a 6-15 start to the season, Charania hears. Stephenson and the Hornets share a mutual belief their partnership can still work, Charania also hears.

There’s been “fluctuating trust” in the Charlotte locker room this season, Charania writes. The Hornets have been aggressive in trade talks of late, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe reported on the first of the month, adding that few would be surprised if the Hornets had brought up Stephenson’s name in those discussions. Charlotte can’t trade Stephenson until Monday, the date that most offseason signees become eligible for inclusion in swaps. The Alberto Ebanks client inked a three-year, $27.405MM contract in the offseason that was supposed to boost Charlotte another few notches in the Eastern Conference standings after the team grabbed the No. 7 seed last year.

That hasn’t been the case so far, as the 24-year-old’s scoring has dipped from 13.8 points per game last season to 10.5 PPG this year, and he’s followed his 35.2% rate of success from three-point territory in 2013/14 with a disconcerting 15.9% mark this season. The majority of Hoops Rumors readers who voted in a poll last week thought that Charlotte should trade Stephenson. Hornets coach Steve Clifford has sought to temper expectations, declaring last month that while Stephenson has the capacity to become a star, he’s yet to reach that level.

Stephenson is a native of Brooklyn and would like someday to play for the Nets, Charania writes, even if that doesn’t take place immediately. Still, his comfort level is growing in Charlotte, according to Charania, who notes that his play has been better in December.

Southeast Notes: Stephenson, Heat, O’Quinn

December 6th, 2014 at 11:04pm CST by ChrisCrouse

After a month of struggling in Charlotte, Lance Stephenson might be starting to settle into his role on the team, writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Some have suggested that the Hornets should part ways with their new acquisition but Bonnell notes that teammates have seen a different vibe from Stephenson recently. “The best thing about him is he was super-positive, playing with energy,” Kemba Walker observed. “We need his energy. He pushed the pace, he got guys involved. He always makes the right plays. We’ve got to try our best to keep him like that; get him the ball in transition and let him make his plays.”

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

With a record of 9-10, the Heat possess a losing record for the first time this season, but the team realizes that this year is different than past seasons, writes Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald. Dwyane Wade knows what to expect from the team at this point in the year. “I understand where we’re at right now with the team that we have. Can we get better? Yeah, we can get better. But we’re not at that point yet. This is the kind of team we have, and we got to figure out how to be as good as we can with this unit. We’re all trying to figure it out, players and coaches,” Wade said.
Despite the Heat’s early season struggles, the team remains upbeat, writes Shandel Richardson of the Sun Sentinel. “We have to stay positive,” Chris Bosh said. “We have to continue to find our game. The easiest thing to do is to fall apart, blame each other and have every excuse in the book but we’re not going to do that. We’re going to continue to come to work. We’re going to continue to find a way and just really stay together. That’s what it’s about. You have so many instances where teams kind of shoot themselves in foot over and over just because of attitude. Every guy in that locker room has a great attitude.”
Kyle O’Quinn has been one of the most productive players for the Magic this season, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Robbins notes that O’Quinn, who is set to become a restricted free agent after the season, could be in line for a big payday due to his high player efficiency rating (26.2 coming into Saturday), age (only 25 years old), and ability to play the center position, which is becoming scarce in today’s NBA.

Eastern Notes: Stephenson, Knicks, Butler

December 4th, 2014 at 8:57pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Hornets are one of the league’s more prominent early season disappointments after their success last season. The team’s biggest offseason acquisition, Lance Stephenson, hasn’t produced as expected, and he is still trying to learn Charlotte’s system and fit in with his new teammates, Steve Reed of The Associated Press writes. Head coach Steve Clifford said he’s not down on Stephenson, and he said expectations for him coming into organization might have been too high, notes Reed. “To be fair, one of the things that’s made it more difficult for him is that he came here and people proclaimed him as the next superstar,” Clifford said. “He’s not a star. He’s a guy that has talent to become a star. To be a star in this league, you have to do it over years.”

Here’s the latest from the Eastern Conference:

The Knicks aren’t seeing much from the Tyson Chandler trade, and with the confidence from Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace and teammate Zach Randolph that free agent target Marc Gasol will stay in Memphis, times are tough in New York, opines Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
Marcus Smart‘s assignment to the D-League by the Celtics today is to get him some reps since the rookie hasn’t gone through a full practice with scrimmaging since suffering a left ankle injury on November 7th, Jay King of MassLive.com notes. “I didn’t think he looked ready,” head coach Brad Stevens said. “Nothing to do [with] physically; he hasn’t practiced. I felt like it would be better to go with Phil Pressey and Gerald Wallace. They would give us the same things that Marcus gave us and they’ve been traveling with the team and everything else. It’s kind of tough to just throw him in there. I hadn’t even seen him until we got to the gym today.“
The Wizards‘ Rasual Butler is the perfect example of how hard work can lead to success for a journeyman player, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today writes. Butler was asked why he kept working out for over a year when no NBA teams came calling, to which he responded, “Because I wanted to play basketball. It’s very easy. It’s a simple answer. If you’re serious about doing what you love to do, then you’re going to do whatever it takes for you to continue to do what you love to do. Some people say they love to play the game. If you love to play the game, you’ve got to go through the steps. You can’t give up on your story.” Butler is a key reserve for Washington, and is third in the league in three-point shooting percentage at a blistering 56.4%, notes Zillgitt

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Southeast Notes: Stephenson, Jordan, Hawks

December 3rd, 2014 at 4:40pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Hornets‘ Lance Stephenson has made an issue about not getting the ball at the end of games, to which head coach Steve Clifford has responded, “To be truthful, Lance has never been a closer. That would be a new role for him,” Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) writes. Clifford went on to say that Stephenson is “not a star,” something that Charlotte has discovered rather quickly after signing him to a three-year, $27MM contract this past summer, notes Haberstroh. But Stevenson also isn’t being paid like a star player, and can come off of the Hornets’ books in 2016 when Charlotte can decline his team option for $9.4MM, unless he is dealt prior to then, Haberstroh adds.

Here’s the latest out of the Southeast Division:

Michael Jordan is finding his role as the team owner of the Hornets a humbling experience, especially this season with the team underachieving mightily thus far, Michael Wallace of ESPN.com writes. Jordan does believe that he has grown as an executive since his time with the Wizards, notes Wallace. “I’ve always considered myself a very successful owner that tries to make sound decisions,” Jordan said. “And when you make bad decisions, you learn from that and move forward. I think I’m better in that sense. I’ve experienced all of the different valleys and lows of ownership and successful business. If that constitutes me being a better owner, then I guess I am.”
The Hawks‘ Al Horford and Paul Millsap are still trying to develop their on-court chemistry despite this being their second season together on Atlanta’s roster, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. This is thanks to Horford only logging 29 games last season before a torn pectoral muscle ended his 2013/14 campaign, Vivlamore adds.
With LeBron James gone and the added title expectations removed along with him, the Heat‘s season thus far feels far more “normal” to Dwyane Wade, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today writes. Miami is also waiting for all its injured players to return to see just what kind of team it actually possesses prior to making any new roster moves, notes Zillgitt.