With Lance Stephenson reportedly available on the trading block, the Los Angeles Lakers could potentially be among several teams willing to take a gamble on the versatile but mercurial shooting guard.
Basketball Insiders analyst Yannis Koutroupis indicated the Lakers and perhaps the OKC Thunder are teams that could make a run at Stephenson, who is surprisingly struggling with the Hornets.
After landing a three-year, $27 million contract with the Hornets, Stephenson has been a disaster as he’s averaging just 9.6 points on 37 percent field goal shooting and 18 percent from beyond the arc. Although he’s putting up 7.7 rebounds and 5.4 assists per contest, his inability to jack up his scoring total is a big concern for a low-scoring Hornets team that ranked 25th in points per game (93.6).
Koutroupis believes teams desperately needing additional talent could be interested in Stephenson, and the Lakers certainly topped the list as they try to find an upgrade at the wing position.
"Stephenson's contract with the Hornets runs through 2016-17 and pays him a guaranteed $9 million next season. The final year is a $9.4 million team option, so it's quite possible that the short-term nature of his deal could still make him attractive to other teams despite his struggles," according to Koutroupis.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Pistons are reportedly on verge of pulling off a three-team blockbuster deal that will send Josh Smith to the Brooklyn Nets, Kevin Garnett to OKC Thunder in exchange for the expiring contracts of Andrei Kirilenko and Kendrick Perkins.
"It would have to be to a team that is just really desperate for a talent influx, though, like the Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder or someone of that nature."
The latest trade rumors circulating around the league is a potential blockbuster deal involving the Pistons, Nets, and the Thunder. In the proposed trade, the Nets will acquire Smith, the Thunder take Kevin Garnettr, while the Pistons absorb the expiring contracts of Andrie Kirilenko and Kendrick Perkins,” according to NBA & NFL Rumors.
As the Pistons continue to struggle with their current roster, Smith’s name has dominated trade chatter for quite some time now. According to analyst, the move to get rid of the remainder of the four-year, $54 million deal Smith signed in 2013 for more financial flexibility next summer has become necessary for Stan Van Gundy to initiate his rebuilding plan for the Pistons.
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