Lance Stephenson is having a breakout year with the Indiana Pacers this season, impressive enough to put himself in 2014 All-Star Game talks.

Stephenson's breakout year puts the Pacers in a better position to dethrone the Miami Heat this season, but the Pacers could also face a big dilemma as the emerging shooting guard continues to turn heads in the league.

Stephenson, who is averaging 13.9 points to go along with 6.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game this season, will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2013-14 NBA season.

Senior NBA writer Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders reported that there is already a growing concern within the Pacers organization about the impending free agency of Stephenson, with reports saying that the Pacers could be forced to let go of the 23-year-old guard.

The Pacers can put as much as $9-million per year offer on the table for Stephenson without going over the luxury tax limit. However, it is widely believed that the Cincinnati standout could ask for more money than what his current team can offer next summer.

"The better he plays, the better chance Indiana has at the title. But the better he plays, the less likely it is they can afford to hold onto him," Brigham noted.

The Pacers have the option to make some moves to clear cap space for Stephenson, but it would be hard for them to match offers from other teams, who are reportedly willing to pay the former second-round pick as much as $12 million per season.

"There is a chance that they could offload some other contract or contracts to ensure he remains in Indianapolis, but there's also a lot of free agency money floating around this summer and Stephenson could command upwards of $11-12 million a season at this point. He fits well with the Pacers, but it's hard to say whether another team may swoop in and steal him away," Brigham stressed.

One of the teams that are expected to make a strong play for Stephenson in July is the Chicago Bulls.

"If they fail to land a star of the magnitude of Anthony or James, there is a consolation prize. The Bulls would love to nab Lance Stephenson from the Indiana Pacers," the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Previous reports suggested that the Bulls will aggressively pursuit Stephenson if they can't get their hands on their top free-agent targets -- LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony.

SEE: Bulls Eyeing Derrick Rose - Carmelo Anthony Duo Next Season?

The Bulls view Stephenson as the potential replacement for Luol Deng, who was recently traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.