After Pacers Draft Two Guards, Lance Stephenson May Be On The Outside Looking In In Free Agency

During the NBA Draft, the Indiana Pacers took two backcourt players — the team from the Circle City added Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard to the squad with a pair of top-31 picks, strengthening the team’s depth.

In doing so, the team created a logjam in the ball handler spots. Beyond the two rookies, Indiana also currently has Tyrese Haliburton, Malcolm Brogdon, T.J. McConnell, Chris Duarte, Buddy Hield, and Duane Washington under contract with just one day to go until free agency. The Pacers’ backcourt rotation is extremely crowded.

With many options at the guard spots already inked to deals, it is unlikely that the Pacers’ front office will use financial resources on another backcourt player in the free agency period, barring trades. That’s bad news for Lance Stephenson, who just wrapped up his tenth season in the NBA.

Stephenson, 31, played in 40 games for the blue and gold during the 2021-22 campaign, posting excellent assist numbers while also averaging 9.3 points per game. It was Stephenson’s third stint with Indiana, and he performed at his highest level for the franchise since the 2013-14 season. He stepped up and filled a need on a Pacers team desperate for point guard depth last season.

After fighting through a quartet of ten-day contracts, the University of Cincinnati product inked a one-year contract with the Pacers in February that ran through the remainder of the season. That $640,000 deal is set to expire once this month ends, and Stephenson will become a free agent at that time.

On one hand, “Born Ready,” as he is often called, is a fan favorite in Indianapolis and played well in a point guard role under head coach Rick Carlisle. He had a handful of wonderful performances this past season and was a key piece for the Pacers in the month of January. Perhaps he is a player that the franchise would try to bring back.

But at the same time, Indiana has so many guards that it might be impossible for Stephenson to get minutes if he does return to the team. He would certainly be behind Haliburton, Hield, Duarte, Mathurin, Brogdon, and McConnell in the playing rotation — should all those players return to the Pacers — and Nembhard has a case to get more playing time than Stephenson on a Pacers team that is getting younger.

So while Stephenson was effective on Carlisle’s team this past season, there may not be enough room on the Indiana roster for the six-foot-six-inch guard.

“I can’t say right now. I don’t know where I’m going to be,” Stephenson said on the Setting The Pace podcast when asked about his upcoming free agency. “I want to be with the Pacers, come back and help the younger guys.”

From a cap perspective, Indiana will either have large salary cap exceptions or enough cap space to bring back Stephenson on any reasonable deal. The monetary resources required to retain the veteran guard aren’t an issue for the blue and gold.

The question is whether or not it’s worth it for the Pacers to add another guard into the mix. As it stands, the answer looks like a resounding no. The roster is filled with depth in the backcourt — using a roster spot on Stephenson would further complicate things.

If trades materialize, things could change. Brogdon has been the subject of trade chatter around the league, and both Hield and McConnell have more value on a playoff-contending team than a younger one like Indiana. If any, or all, of those players are moved, then a Stephenson reunion would make more sense.

If Stephenson is signed by the Pacers and doesn’t play for even a minute, he would still provide utility to the organization as a popular player locally and as a locker room authority. The three-time Pacer is a solid veteran at this stage of his career, and multiple young players have stated that they enjoy playing alongside Stephenson.

As of right now, though, Stephenson looks like he could be on the outside of the Pacers’ free agency plans. If moves are made, and the front office determines that guard depth is needed, then the Brooklyn native would be a good fit with the team for another season. But right now, given the moves the Pacers have made, Born Ready may be looking for his next team elsewhere.