May 24, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stepehnson (1) looks on in game three of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
WHICH TEAM WILL OVERPAY FOR LANCE STEPHENSON, ASSUMING ONE WILL?
MS — Indiana. There’s no way that the Pacers are going to let Stephenson get away, no matter what he’s offered on the open market.
GM — This might seem like a long shot but the Charlotte Hornets can afford to give Stephenson a nice three-year deal. The Hornets can potentially have a trio of Kemba Walker, Al Jefferson, and Stephenson, and they can draft someone like Aaron Gordon or Doug McDermott with their ninth pick, which will make them an intriguing team. I can also see the Pacers re-signing Stephenson to a two or three year deal as Larry Bird is a big fan of his game.
RW — Stephenson may have caused the Pacers a ton of headaches, but Larry Bird will not let him leave. Someone will offer a max contract and, since he is a restricted free agent, the Pacers can match any offer the former Cincinnati Bearcat receives.
JA — The only way I see Sir Lance-a-lot leaving Indiana is if Chicago can’t land Carmelo Anthony or Kevin Love. Chicago needs a go-to scoring shooting guard, which would give them a potent offense-defense, one two punch on the perimeter with Jimmy Butler and Born Ready. It’s almost a match made in heaven; Lance controls the ball well too, so he could take some of the pressure off the returning Derrick Rose, who’ll be looking to shake off some rust early on in the season.
DA — When the Bulls whiff on Anthony, they’ll look for the next most-talented free agent outside of Miami’s Big 3. And, despite his antics in the playoffs, that happens to be Stephenson. Chicago’s woes are all related to their anemic offense and Stephenson can help in that regard. Also, unlike Anthony, the Pacers’ guard has some experience playing defense, so he’ll be a better fit in the short-term. Assuming that Indiana will have trouble regaining their composure following their mid- and late-season collapse, Chicago can provide the stable structure where Stephenson’s talents – and not his buffoonish behavior – can be on display. You can bet Joakim Noah won’t allow what happened in Indiana to take place in the Windy City.
BO — If anyone, I’d say Dallas has the best chance to get him by overpaying for him, but I could also see Michael Jordan and Charlotte taking a chance on Stephenson. The Hornets (that feels so weird, btw) have cap space and got a taste of the playoffs last year, but didn’t have the scoring to make a deep run. Stephenson would make a nice “Big 3” with Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson.
AL — The Hornets. In roundtable synctonicity, I see the two wanting to come together to start over and create a new narrative. Lance wants to be The Guy, the Hornets need The Guy. They wouldn’t even have to change their game plan that much and Lance can be a bigger irritant to LeBron and the Heat in a conference way.