NBA Rumors: Sacramento Kings could pursue Lance Stephenson

May 15, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson (1) celebrates against the Washington Wizards in the fourth quarter in game six of the second round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. The Pacers won 93-80, and won the series 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
May 15, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson (1) celebrates against the Washington Wizards in the fourth quarter in game six of the second round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. The Pacers won 93-80, and won the series 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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There are few players in the NBA right now as polarizing as Lance Stephenson is and while he may be on the outs in Indiana, the fact of the matter remains that his antics aside, Stephenson is one of the best backcourt players in the NBA at the moment. He chased stats late in the season and that ended up hurting his game and his standing with his teammates, but Stephenson is still young and still full of potential and that’s something teams will want to tap into this offseason in free agency.

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As Zach Lowe from Grantland points out, the Sacramento Kings are a team that could get in on the Lance Stephenson sweepstakes if they end up losing Rudy Gay to free agency this summer.

"Multiple executives from other teams have mentioned the Kings as a potential landing spot if Rudy Gay opts out of his contract, but that doesn’t appear to be Gay’s plan. The Kings just spent a lottery pick on Ben McLemore, and Yahoo! has reported that they might have their eye on a bigger target — Kevin Love."

The real question is should the Kings pursue Stephenson even if Gay doesn’t opt out, as there comes a point in time when a franchise just needs to be bold and go out on a limb to land players that can change their culture. Right now, the culture is a losing one in Sacramento and after how hard the fans fought and clawed to keep the team where it is, they deserve for the front office to get splashy if for nothing other than a reward for their support.