The Los Angeles Lakers might have an outside shot in landing shooting guard Lance Stephenson, whom the Charlotte Hornets reportedly made available on the trading block.
According to Basketball Insiders analyst Yannis Koutroupis, the Hornets are perhaps serious in entertaining trade offers for Stephenson after such a miserable start for a projected top-4 team in the Eastern Conference this season.
Stephenson, who signed a three-year, $27 million contract last summer, has been playing below expectation as he's averaging 9.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game, while shooting 37 percent from the field and 18 percent from beyond the arc.
While the Hornets cannot trade Stephenson until December 15, there is no shortage of possible deals they could make out there. After all, Stephenson is still highly-regarded as one of the most versatile shooting guard in the league, and his perimeter defense remains top-notch despite his struggle on the offensive end.
Koutroupis thinks teams that desperately need additional talent could make a run at Stephenson. The Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder and even Stephenson's former team, the Indiana Pacers, could be interested in acquitting the versatile two-guard.
"Stephenson's contract with the Hornets runs through 2016-17 and pays him a guaranteed $9 million next season. The final year is a $9.4 million team option, so it's quite possible that the short-term nature of his deal could still make him attractive to other teams despite his struggles," Koutroupis stated.
"It would have to be to a team that is just really desperate for a talent influx, though, like the Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder or someone of that nature."
In order for the Lakers to acquire Stephenson, general manager Kupchack might need to sacrifice the first-round pick they acquired from a trade with the Houston Rockets for Jeremy Lin and a combination of either shooting guard Nick Young or power forward Jordan Hill, who is putting up solid stats (at least 13 points and 9 rebounds per game) for the purple-and-gold early this season.
Perimeter defense has been the biggest thorn for the Lakers this season, and a defensive stud like Stephenson could certainly provide significant improvement in that particular department. Moreover, the presence of a talented youngster on the roster is going to be a big plus for the Lakers as they attract other free-agents next summer.
