Pros and Cons of Charlotte Hornets Moving Lance Stephenson by Trade Deadline
Lance Stephenson just can't seem to stay out of the news. Last season, it was for throwing down triple-doubles like a machine, blossoming into a borderline All-Star and going toe-to-toe with the best of the best in the postseason two years in a row.
Well, of course, he also blew in LeBron's ear...but I digress.
Stephenson's name has once again popped up in headlines, but it has not been for good reasons. This year, Stephenson has made waves for getting benched in the fourth quarter and becoming a strong candidate to be prematurely shipped out of Charlotte, the latter of which has once again resurfaced.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski at Yahoo! Sports, the Hornets and Brooklyn Nets have once again resumed trade discussions centered around Lance Stephenson, except now the albatross that is Joe Johnson's contract is involved. Surprisingly, Gerald Henderson and Marvin Williams have had their names tossed around as well, likely to balance out the financial aspects.
Shipping out Lance Stephenson before the trade deadline on Feb. 20 certainly would have its share of pros and cons. Will Michael Jordan and general manager Rich Cho actually pull the trigger?
Pros
No. 1: Cutting Their Losses
Landing Stephenson this past offseason was a huge move for the small-market Hornets. After a surprising 43-win campaign in 2013-14, the Hornets landed a budding young star on a bargain deal of three years and $27 million. Stephenson was battle-hardened with playoff experience and was coming off a breakout season at age 23. He was the perfect fit alongside fellow New York native Kemba Walker in what was supposed to be one of the NBA's most electrifying new backcourts.
Sadly, this dream has not manifested itself. Early on, Walker and Stephenson had extremely negative effects on one another. Both Walker and Stephenson need the ball in their hands to be effective, and they did not work well as a tandem on defense. For a while, both were also in the bottom five in the NBA in field-goal percentage.
Now with Stephenson coming off the bench, he still has not gotten it going. This was a great move in theory, as Charlotte was in desperate need of a third scorer and another guy who could handle the rock alongside Walker, but it hasn't worked in the slightest. Stephenson got used to being the primary playmaker for the Indiana Pacers at times, and having the ball in his hands so often ended up turning him into an effective scorer. He and Walker both struggle as spot-up shooters, leaving Stephenson as a lost puppy at times when Kemba is orchestrating the offense.
Halfway through this season, it might be time to admit defeat and move on. Charlotte might have to just wipe its hands here.
No. 2: Freeing Up Minutes
The weird part of this proposed deal would be the inclusion of Henderson and Johnson in the transaction. Charlotte hit its stride when Stephenson got hurt, largely because Hendo started playing some of the best ball of his career.
However, such a move could open up more time for a youngster like P.J. Hairston. If Johnson comes over in return, this won't be the case, but as of now that is still a rumor.
Trading Stephenson for cents on the dollar would usher in a slight rebuild. We know Henderson and Walker can coexist, but with Stephenson out of the picture, Steve Clifford could throw Hairston into the fire once in a while to see what he is made of.
No. 3: Team Success
It wasn't supposed to be the case at all, but Charlotte is actually a better team thus far when Stephenson has been out of the lineup.
The Hornets went 9-5 when Stephenson missed 14 games with a hip injury from late December to early January. The success has been maintained by limiting him to 23.7 minutes a night off the bench upon his return.
Charlotte is not a team with enough talent and cap room to simply eat Stephenson's deal. Things may get better, but the franchise has already committed to Walker long-term. If it determines that Stephenson is not a fit alongside him, the Hornets will be set back for years trying to cram this round peg into a square hole.
Cons
No. 1: If Rumors Come to Fruition, Why Joe Johnson?
Bringing Joe Johnson aboard would represent a feeble attempt to save this season. Charlotte has been playing well of late to begin with, and trading Stephenson would represent a waving of the white flag. Replacing him with Johnson would just be shooting themselves in the foot.
Aside from Johnson's contract, he has also been dealing with bad knee tendinitis at 33 years old. Does that sound like a guy you want on the books beyond this season?
Bleacher Report colleague Dan Favale laid things out very succinctly when it comes to this potential deal:
"As badly as the Hornets might want to part ways with Stephenson, this isn't the deal for them. Adding salary to a fast-fleeting foundation does little, if anything, to improve their already-murky outlook. They need to have one or both eyes on the future. If they're going to dump Stephenson, they need to actually dump him—trade him to create more flexibility, not less.
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This would represent a lateral move that would arguably provide the roster with a veteran spot-up shooter that it needs. However, you can find shooting elsewhere that doesn't cost $24.9 million, which is what Johnson is set to make next year in the final season of his deal.
Such a deal would also tie up around $50 million next year just in the trio of Johnson, Jefferson and Walker.
No. 2: Stephenson's Number Is About to be Called
It was recently announced that Kemba Walker will be sidelined due to knee surgery in order to repair a torn lateral meniscus. It is possible that the injury even keeps him out for the year.
Given how poorly Walker and Stephenson have performed alongside one another, this is the perfect opportunity to instill some confidence back into the demonstrative shooting guard. Even though he has played so poorly this year, every fan should be able to agree that if Charlotte is going to go for it at this point, it is better off with Stephenson trying to continue this hot streak as opposed to Joe Johnson, or anyone else it might get in a trade.
Charlotte is now searching for stopgaps at point guard to instead fill in for Walker, with Ramon Sessions and Norris Cole's names being thrown around. Those don't feel like moves of a team readying the white flag.
No. 3: Things Might Not Get Better
The worst place to be in the NBA is fighting for a No. 8 seed in the playoff race, or being stuck winning around 45 games every year. Getting from 30 or 35 wins up to 45 is a reasonable jump that Charlotte has already made, but contenders routinely get to at least 50 or 55.
Remember all those Atlanta Hawks teams that were consistently pretty good without any hope of being great? Those Joe Johnson-led squads were playoff constants, but they never got close to making it over the hump. Charlotte already made two huge jumps, going from seven wins in 2011-12 up to 21 in 2012-13 before breaking through the playoff barrier at 43-39 last season. Those Bobcats were the first team to ever double their win total in back-to-back years.
It's reasonable to think that they don't have another jump in them.
Charlotte will face some tough decisions soon and, as it currently stands, that might be the best-case scenario for these Hornets. Al Jefferson isn't getting any younger, and who knows how much longer he will be in town?
The front office truly went all-in with this Stephenson move, and it is difficult to blame them for taking such a big swing. Small markets have no choice but to slam on the gas pedal once in a while.
There is no glory in being a first-round exit. If Charlotte's ceiling with a roster led by Jefferson, Walker and Stephenson is merely as a .500 squad, then something has to change, and that would likely be getting rid of Lance. This is the million-dollar question facing this team right now. Can they be more than just pretty good behind this bunch?
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