Lance Stephenson is finding out the hard way what his worth is in the NBA. The guard was considered one of the best young talents last offseason, looking to be a lock for a mx contract with the Indiana Pacers. However, a season of highs and lows changed many team's opinions on Stephenson and not for the better. Now a free agent, the guard believes he is worth more than team are willing to give. Could a price drop be in his future?
The Pacers have already determined what they believe Stephenson is worth. They offered the guard a five-year, $44 million contract to remain with the team. Stephenson wants more, but has yet to find a team willing to give it. The first wave of free agents have signed their marquee contracts leaving teams with little salary cap space to bring in Stephenson for a deal much higher than the deal already offered.
According to Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders, Stephenson's value is dropping drastically. The guard is likely looking towards the deals that both Chandler Parsons and Gordon Hayward signed which pays the players around $15 million per season to see what he should be earning. But Greene writes that the number of teams willing to offer Stephenson that money is dwindling quickly and he might have to either accept the Pacers contract offer or lower his price tag.
Indiana still wants Stephenson back. They have yet to get overly active in free agency, waiting for Stephenson to decide his future. Head coach Frank Vogel and team president Larry Bird have both said that while they would love nothing more than to have the guard back on the roster, they believe the contract offer is fair and correctly valued. Teammate Paul George is also hopeful that Stephenson comes back, aware that he can make the team better.
"It's all on Lance's plate," George said, via ESPN.com. "I didn't have to deal with this because I was a restricted free agent. It's really up to Lance, but I will say I do want him to come back. I've talked to him a few times, and I know how stressful it can be. I don't want to put any more on him. Once again, we've got our plates full (with chasing a title) but we like our chances."
As of now, the Dallas Mavericks have shown interest in Stephenson. The Los Angeles Lakers could also be a landing spot at the right price. After those two teams, the options become much slimmer. The Pacers will be patient in waiting for Stephenson. They are considering shopping Roy Hibbert, but that likely will be determined by what Stephenson opts to do.
