Lance Stephenson wants to remain a Pacer

Oct 25, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Indiana Pacers shooting guard Lance Stephenson (1) brings the ball up court during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. The Pacers defeated the Mavericks 98-77. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

Lance Stephenson has found a niche in the NBA. He was a forgotten player, until injuries to Danny Granger gave him an opportunity to show what he can do. The Pacers moved Paul George over to small forward, and Stephenson became the starting shooting guard for the Pacers. He had a breakout season for Indiana, scoring 8 points per game. He had stretches where he could score up to 25 on any given night.

This season, the Pacers are still without Danny Granger, so Stephenson has no competition for his starting spot. He is averaging 14 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game, and he is a big part of why the Pacers are 6-0. He will be a free agent next season, and he will be getting paid. According to what he told USA Today, he wants to get paid by the Pacers:

"“I wouldn’t want to leave a good team like this. I definitely would love to come back.”“I just love the city. I love the team. I love who I play with and I feel like we’re a young group and I think we should stick together.”"

The Pacers already have Paul George and Roy Hibbert locked up for many years to come, and it would make sense for them to re-sign Stephenson. He can be out of control at times, but he brings toughness, pushes the ball in transition, and is a solid player overall. They will likely let Granger walk in the off-season, and they have a little cap space to spend on him. Depending on how Granger can come back for them, I wouldn’t be surprised if they moved the 33 year old.

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