Indiana Pacers should have re-signed Lance Stephenson

The Indiana Pacers may have had their reasons for letting Lance Stephenson leave for the Charlotte Hornets in free agency but they should have tried hard to re-sign him

More from Charlotte Hornets

Lang Greene knows what the Pacers were thinking in letting Lance Stephenson walk but argues they should have re-signed him.

"Larry Bird and Co. really outsmarted themselves out there in Indiana this past summer. Listen … they should have paid Lance Stephenson. Period. There was no reason not to do so … he was a homegrown product (drafted by Indy) who bought into the system and was developing into an All-Star. You can’t let that just walk out the door. But what Bird and Co. was thinking was that they’d just unleash Paul George, let him dominant offensively as he continues his ascent among the league’s elite."

If this is the Pacers’ rationale, they’d probably be best served by trading away players and trying to lose games this season. That way, they could get a high pick in the NBA lottery, pair him with a returning George and have a lot to offer potential free agents.

For Lance Stephenson, he now forms a dynamic back court with Kemba Walker and has a legitimate All-Star to play with in Al Jefferson. Instead of the Pacers, it is the Hornets who may be set up to make runs in the Eastern Conference over the next few season.

Stephenson averaged 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game this season while shooting 49.1% from the field, 35.2% from beyond the arc and 71.1% from the charity stripe in the regular season. In his four-year career, he has averaged 9.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 46.7% from the field, 32.5% from three and 71.1% from the free throw line.

More from FanSided

Home/Charlotte Hornets