The struggling Lance Stephenson is reportedly off the trading block for now, as the offers the Charlotte Hornets received did not impress them. He's also reportedly clashed with his new teammates. Meanwhile, his former teammates were asked about the possibility of bringing him back to the Indiana Pacers via trade, and they were opposed to the idea, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.
Weekend Trade Rumble: Heard various Pacers were asked if Indy should try to bring Lance Stephenson back. Response NOT one of encouragement
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) December 22, 2014The people in the Pacers locker room and front office know Stephenson as well as anybody. This is the organization that drafted him No. 40 overall in 2010. There have been "high-level internal talks" about re-acquiring him, per CBSSports.com's Ken Berger, as he played his best basketball of his career last season in Indiana. Stephenson obviously has lots of talent, but there are reasons the franchise is hesitating. He became a distraction during the playoffs, and when Pacers center Roy Hibbert complained about "some selfish dudes" at the end of March, he was talking about Stephenson, according to ESPN.com.
When Stephenson played against Indiana for the first time during the preseason, he said that he initially wanted to come back, via the Indianapolis Star. He also took Hibbert and George Hill out to dinner. Paul George posted a photo to Instagram of himself and Stephenson at a college basketball game, and the caption read, "Good catching up to my brother Born Ready.. Happy for the kid even tho we know where he should still be lol." If the Pacers did decide to go for the reunion, everyone would surely say the right things. Still, it's significant that the players are not exactly pushing the front office to make a move.
