The Indiana Pacers are now scampering to fill in holes following injuries to key players. Malcolm Brogdon will be missing time, and the returning Victor Oladipo has been struggling. Jeremy Lamb has been ruled out for the season, and the Pacers need more bodies heading into the NBA playoffs.
One player who was previously crossed out is now back into consideration. Lance Stephenson is reportedly in talks with the Pacers and all that remains is clearance coming from his Chinese Basketball Association team, The Athletic reported. This is a big turnaround considering that he was previously not under consideration a few weeks ago according to another report from Scott Agness of The Athletic.
But this was before Brogdon went down to an injury. The Pacers are at the fifth spot of the NBA Eastern Conference and are trying to hold off the Philadelphia 76ers. Indiana is just a game ahead of Philly as of this writing and needs all the help they can get.
The Pacers have 18 games left in the regular season and need to stay afloat. Stephenson gives head coach Nate McMillan a player who can contribute on both ends. It will be the 29-year-old's third stint with the Pacers. The 6-foot-6 swingman made his mark in his first tenure with Indiana from 2010-14. Things just went haywire from there with Stephenson bombing out with the different NBA teams he played for. He played for the Los Angeles Lakers last season.
Once the deal is sealed, it also fulfills the dream of the 40th overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft to make a return to the league. After wrapping up a stint with the Liaoning Flying Leopards, the temperamental swingman sought a return to the NBA and was willing to undergo workouts, Yahoo Sports reported.
Stephenson produced impressive numbers with the Flying Leopards. He normed 26.7 points and 7.4 rebounds but saw the season cut short due to the Coronavirus outbreak. Since the CBA was put on hold, several foreign players have fled China.
In the NBA, Stephenson holds career averages of 8.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. Those numbers dipped last season with the Lakers. He played 16.5 minutes per game and was mostly used off the bench. While the numbers may not be that impressive, Stephenson is known more because of his defense. The Pacers have some offensive options, so Stephenson could contribute more by trying to put the clamps on stay players from opposing teams.
