Hornets Sign Lance Stephenson 3y/27.5 mil (p67)

[Elden Payton]

We're going to sign Lance to a very reasonable contract. He wants to leave indy and we're basically the only team in the east with cap space and interest in him

Allegedly. I refuse to believe that we have interest in him until I hear/read about him visiting Charlotte for a interview/meeting

In the beginning of the free-agent process, I thought it was a no-brainer, and believe the false reports about our serious interest in Stephenson just because it sounded logical, but no avail really yet

While I'm skeptical of your toddler analogy, I agree here. The fit seems natural and obvious, but it's surprising how little we've heard.

With the way Cho operates, if we'd heard anything, it would be surprising.

[BeesWax]

We're going to sign Lance to a very reasonable contract. He wants to leave indy and we're basically the only team in the east with cap space and interest in him

I still think we're going to have to compete with whichever of Houston or Dallas didn't get Parsons. We MIIIIIIIIIGHT have to deal with Phoenix as well, but other than that, I really don't know I see anywhere else for him. My guess is 4/50 with a player option on the final year.

That is WAY to much. Offer 4/40 and move on if he says no.

[BeesWax]

It'd be nice to do something!

Not if he will wreck the team. Signing a guy who was a cancer in a locker room is risky.

I agree but at the point of Hayward's albatross being matched, Lance is worth the risk now imo.

4/40.

If he asked for a penny more I walk away from the table. I like the talent but he isn't a great fit here. Ball stopper with not great outside shot.

[JDR720]

Not if he will wreck the team. Signing a guy who was a cancer in a locker room is risky.

I agree but at the point of Hayward's albatross being matched, Lance is worth the risk now imo.

4/40.

If he asked for a penny more I walk away from the table. I like the talent but he isn't a great fit here. Ball stopper with not great outside shot.

He will improve his shot and Cliff won't let him be a "ball stopper"

[Elden Payton]

Not if he will wreck the team. Signing a guy who was a cancer in a locker room is risky.

I agree but at the point of Hayward's albatross being matched, Lance is worth the risk now imo.

4/40.

If he asked for a penny more I walk away from the table. I like the talent but he isn't a great fit here. Ball stopper with not great outside shot.

I agree @jdm3

10m per is a better offer than Indy has made.

Not a dime over that number is fine imo.

MJ is a gambler!

[Liver_Pooty]

Houston got Ariza, Dallas gets Parsons.

Some chatter beginning to go around that Houston will match the offer for Parsons as well.

How is that possible? How much did they clear off the books before Parsons signed his offer sheet?

By trading Lin and Asik they cleared enough room to offer Bosh a 4 year 88 million dollar deal. Ariza at 8 per and Parsons at 15 combined is pretty close to that. I think they will be able to pull it off.

[HornetJail]

We're going to sign Lance to a very reasonable contract. He wants to leave indy and we're basically the only team in the east with cap space and interest in him

I still think we're going to have to compete with whichever of Houston or Dallas didn't get Parsons. We MIIIIIIIIIGHT have to deal with Phoenix as well, but other than that, I really don't know I see anywhere else for him. My guess is 4/50 with a player option on the final year.

That is WAY to much. Offer 4/40 and move on if he says no.

And do what? Field a team worse than last year when Cleveland, Detroit, and pretty much the rest of the league improves? I know you don't like Lance as much as I do, but we need him in the worst way. I don't know about you but I don't want Gerald Henderson to be our starting SG again next year. 4/40 is a complete low-ball offer in this market. Even 4/50 is on the low-end.

[BeesWax]

I agree but at the point of Hayward's albatross being matched, Lance is worth the risk now imo.

4/40.

If he asked for a penny more I walk away from the table. I like the talent but he isn't a great fit here. Ball stopper with not great outside shot.

He will improve his shot and Cliff won't let him be a "ball stopper"

Then he freaks out and causes problems. If he wasn't nuts maybe I would believe he would be fixable but what is his reaction if Clifford gets on him about it. This guy is a huge risk for a questionable fit. He has tons of talent but I am not sold he has any brains.

[mrknowitall215]

Not if he will wreck the team. Signing a guy who was a cancer in a locker room is risky.

I agree but at the point of Hayward's albatross being matched, Lance is worth the risk now imo.

4/40.

If he asked for a penny more I walk away from the table. I like the talent but he isn't a great fit here. Ball stopper with not great outside shot.

Aye, he made more 3-pointers at a higher percentage than a 'GH' that's not on our team

[Liver_Pooty]

If we don't sign Lance and miss out on whatever is left of the free agent class we will be very, very close to not being a playoff team next year. I don't want to take a step back.

[BeesWax]

I still think we're going to have to compete with whichever of Houston or Dallas didn't get Parsons. We MIIIIIIIIIGHT have to deal with Phoenix as well, but other than that, I really don't know I see anywhere else for him. My guess is 4/50 with a player option on the final year.

That is WAY to much. Offer 4/40 and move on if he says no.

And do what? Field a team worse than last year when Cleveland, Detroit, and pretty much the rest of the league improves? I know you don't like Lance as much as I do, but we need him in the worst way. I don't know about you but I don't want Gerald Henderson to be our starting SG again next year. 4/40 is a complete low-ball offer in this market. Even 4/50 is on the low-end.

4/50 is crazy high for a nut job. His best offer is 5/44 so 4/40 to prove himself is solid. He sunk his value by being an idiot. He should jump at 4/40.

[Liver_Pooty]

Stephensons 3 point shooting has gotten better each year he has been in the league.

13 to 33 to 35. If he could improve it to just 37 that would be perfectly fine.

[BeesWax]

I agree but at the point of Hayward's albatross being matched, Lance is worth the risk now imo.

4/40.

If he asked for a penny more I walk away from the table. I like the talent but he isn't a great fit here. Ball stopper with not great outside shot.

Aye, he made more 3-pointers at a higher percentage than a 'GH' that's not on our team

Yes he did as the ignored 3rd option on his team. Switch the two and he shoots much worse than Hayward and goes BS crazy and throws chairs because his team can't win at all.

[HornetJail]

If we don't sign Lance and miss out on whatever is left of the free agent class we will be very, very close to not being a playoff team next year. I don't want to take a step back.

It's highly possible. Cleveland is a lock to leap-frog us, Detroit could as well if SVG figured them out. New York could make a big trade with their expiring deals to try to field a winning team around Melo, Boston has a **** ton of assets to make something work in a last-ditch attempt to keep Rondo. We HAVE to improve. If we miss the playoffs next year, Al probably leaves too. Remember he can and likely will, opt out for much more money next summer.

[Elden Payton]

If we don't sign Lance and miss out on whatever is left of the free agent class we will be very, very close to not being a playoff team next year. I don't want to take a step back.

Sometimes to take a step forward, you have to take a step back.

[Liver_Pooty]

If we don't sign Lance and miss out on whatever is left of the free agent class we will be very, very close to not being a playoff team next year. I don't want to take a step back.

Sometimes to take a step forward, you have to take a step back.

Going from a playoff team to the next season with 2 first rounders and 20 million in cap space to not make the playoffs would be a gigantic step back, though.

[chabber]

Some chatter beginning to go around that Houston will match the offer for Parsons as well.

How is that possible? How much did they clear off the books before Parsons signed his offer sheet?

By trading Lin and Asik they cleared enough room to offer Bosh a 4 year 88 million dollar deal. Ariza at 8 per and Parsons at 15 combined is pretty close to that. I think they will be able to pull it off.

I see now. They got down to around $39M with the Lin and Asik trades. I had no idea they got that low. So grabbing Ariza and Parsons can still fit them under the cap.

I didn't think they had gotten enough space under the cap to grab Bosh before Parsons signed his offer sheet. I thought it'd be one or the other. That is pretty negligible in this situation.

[BeesWax]

If we don't sign Lance and miss out on whatever is left of the free agent class we will be very, very close to not being a playoff team next year. I don't want to take a step back.

Sometimes to take a step forward, you have to take a step back.

Going from a playoff team to the next season with 2 first rounders and 20 million in cap space to not make the playoffs would be a gigantic step back, though.

Not when the FA class isn't much help. It happens and adding a team killer isn't an easy thing to do.

[Elden Payton]

If we don't sign Lance and miss out on whatever is left of the free agent class we will be very, very close to not being a playoff team next year. I don't want to take a step back.

Sometimes to take a step forward, you have to take a step back.

Going from a playoff team to the next season with 2 first rounders and 20 million in cap space to not make the playoffs would be a gigantic step back, though.

How so?

We were the seventh seed, it's not like going from HCA to missing the playoffs.

Logically taking a step back to go a step forward lands you in the same place, but the NBA doesn't operate on logic!

This upcoming draft will also be very deep and if we miss the playoffs, adding another lotto talent won't hurt us in the long run.

[HornetJail]

He sunk his value by being an idiot. He should jump at 4/40.

What has he actually done since that incident with his girlfriend four years ago when he was a 19-year-old rookie? Blow in Lebron's ear? Done a stupid dance after hitting a big shot? Who cares? He's a competitor whose very occasional antics get blown WAY out of proportion. He doesn't go out of his way to hurt people on the court like Artest, Bynum, or Beverley, he's not getting into fights ten times a year like Stephen Jackson and he is NOT a locker room cancer. His teammates seem to love him. George and Hibbert are supposed to be the leaders on the team, and both had their problems doing so- if there's one player on the Pacers who doesn't deserve blame for their collapse last season, it's Stephenson. He's a fierce and very talented competitor. I am ready to go all out for him. I will support any Stephenson to Charlotte signing for any price. Rather not let it get to the max, but if that's what it takes, I do it.