Charlotte Open to a Trade for Stephenson

Lance Stephenson, a swingman for the Charlotte Hornets is eligible starting on Monday to be traded and the Hornets are exploring that option, according to sources close to the NBA franchise.

Sources have said that Charlotte, only 23 games into the first season with Stephenson, has already started searching for teams to organize a trade for the talented yet enigmatic former member of the Indiana Pacers.

Sources have said that there is no deal imminent that involves the trading of Stephenson, nonetheless Monday becomes the first day that players who signed contracts this past July become eligible to be moved, which usually starts trade season league wide that will last for two months ending with the trade deadline each February.

Since only two of the three years on Stephenson’s contract with Charlotte are guaranteed, it could make it easier for the Hornets to find a team willing to take a gamble on the talented yet mercurial player.

The same sources said that Charlotte had not reached the mode of “trade Stephenson at all costs.” However, the club is certainly ready at this point to end its relationship with Stephenson if a good enough deal was to present itself.

In very quick fashion, Stephenson proved a poor fit with the established core of players on the Hornets including Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson.

To start the season, Stephenson is shooting just 39% from the field overall and has hit just 8 of his 48 three point shots.

The Hornets are 6-17 to start after being projected by a number of NBA analysts to move up the ladder in the Eastern Conference after finishing last season 44-38 and reaching the postseason as the No. 7 seed.

However, after a quarter of the season this year, the club is one of the most disappointing teams in the league.

Charlotte followed a loss in double overtime in Memphis on Friday night with a home defeat by 27 points against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. The Nets are amidst their own turmoil after a report came out last week that Brooklyn has been clear that Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez and Deron Williams could all be moved through trades.

Earlier this month, a report was released that said Charlotte was willing to take trades about any player on the club except Walker and Jefferson.

A great deal of pressure was put on Stephenson after he spurned a contract of 5 years for $44 million to re-sign with Indiana to take a shorter contract with Charlotte.

On many occasions in the early season, Stephenson has been benched in the last quarter over concerns of lack of movement of the ball and poor court spacing in the offense.

Stephenson led the NBA last season in triple doubles but his inconsistency to start the season has not allowed him to play up to last season’s level in the first 23 games for Charlotte.