The NBA trade deadline is almost here, and Charlotte Hornets shooting guard Lance Stephenson remains one of the most talked-about names on the market. The Brooklyn Nets are also expected to be busy on the phones this week, but don't expect the two sides to come together on a Stephenson swap.
After an excellent 2013-14 season with the Indiana Pacers, Stephenson signed a two-year, $18 million deal with Charlotte this offseason. The Pacers' willingness to let him walk was surprising, considering he led the NBA in triple-doubles last season and provided high-level production both offensively and defensively.
Perhaps they read the tea leaves correctly though. This season has been a dreadful one for Stephenson. He's scoring just nine points a game, to go with 5.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists. He's making just 37 percent of his shots from the field, and knocking down 15 percent of his 3-pointers. He's even shown major regression from the free throw line, connecting at a 59 percent clip.
There were rumors earlier this year about a swap involving Stephenson and Brook Lopez, with the former talking about how happy he would be to return home to Brooklyn.
"It would be a blessing (to play in Brooklyn)," Stephenson said. "But right now, Charlotte, that's what I'm doing right now.
"With me, it's all mental. I feel like once I get mentally into it, coming back to get that hunger. Cause sometimes you lose your hunger. You've been doing it for so long you forget all the hard work that got you here. So I'm just getting back on that, getting focused."
The Nets don't seem to be so enthusiastic about his homecoming though, and general manager Billy King thinks the team may stand pat at the deadline while they hunt the No. 8 seed in the East. "We'll work the phones. I doubt if we'll do anything but we're going to work the phones and if something makes sense we'll do it," King told Our BK Social.
Yahoo! Sports writer Adrian Wojnarowski concurs with the speculation that Stephenson to the Nets won't happen, and tweeted his thoughts about Stephenson's chances of being moved at all.
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