Over the summer, the free agency rumors were rampant and very often, weren’t true. But one of the rumors that were factual was Lance Stephenson joining the Dallas Mavericks. Stephenson was target #1 for the Mavs after they struck out on LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. The Mavs ended up with Chandler Parsons, but if it wasn’t for that deal, Lance would be in Big D.
According to Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling, it was all but a done deal.
By the weekend of July 11, both sides had verbally committed to a two-year contract worth slightly more than Stephenson’s eventual deal with the Hornets, according to Ebanks. But Dallas was in a holding pattern; the Houston Rockets first had to match Chandler Parsons’ Mavericks offer, or it wouldn’t happen.
“It was a domino effect,” Ebanks said. “Dallas did not think that Houston was going to let Parsons walk. Lance was very close to being a member of the Mavericks. When you’re a little further along into free agency, people are more in the position to pull the trigger when they see what they’re looking for.”
We all know where it went from there, Lance went to the ESPY’s, had a good laugh with Drake and then ended up meeting with Michael Jordan and the Hornets front office and they gave him an offer he couldn’t refuse. A three year deal worth $27.5 Million dollars, and the chance to play alongside fellow New York City basketball legend, Kemba Walker.
This Hornets team looks like one that can make some serious noise in the East. The Hornets made the playoffs last year, as the Bobcats, and have kept the core of the roster around, along with adding Stephenson and veteran forward Marvin Williams and drafting highly touted prospect Noah Vonleh in the NBA Draft. They’re a team to watch out for this year and with Lance leading them along the way with Kemba and Big Al Jefferson, I would be scared if I played in the Eastern Conference this season.
