Free agent Lance Stephenson will join forces with longtime enemy LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers, according to ESPN’s Chris Haynes.
Free agent Lance Stephenson has agreed to join the Los Angeles Lakers, league sources tell ESPN.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 2, 2018
Sources: It’s a one-year, $4.5 million deal. https://t.co/DUcYC4EDNo
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 2, 2018
Priority Sports, the agency that represents Stephenson, confirmed the agreement late Sunday night with a social media post.
Stephenson’s decision comes hours after LeBron James agreed to a deal with the Lakers, with fellow free agent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope also opting to stay with the team. Stephenson and James have a long, rich history competing against each other, stemming back from some intense rivalries during their Miami-Indiana days.
The Pacers declined Stephenson’s team option worth 4.3 million last week, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent. He shares a close relationship with Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw.
Appearing in 82 games with Indiana this past season, Stephenson averaged 9.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists mostly coming off the bench. He’s played for six different teams across his eight-year professional career, with the Lakers being his seventh different destination.
The Lakers used their room exception to sign Lance Stephenson and only have their minimum exception to offer unless they renounce Julius Randle. Randle is expected to sign elsewhere in free agency.
