The Charlotte Hornets had high expectations for Lance Stephenson but thus far, he is far from the player that they had hoped for. And the bad news of it all is that they may very well be opting to buy out the former Indiana Pacer star soon.
Stephenson, best known perhaps for that ear-blowing incident with Lebron James which up to now is a viral hit, has been a big flop for the Hornets. He has been in and out of the injured list but is most importantly hardly the X-factor that the Hornets had hoped could compliment resident stars such as Kemba Walker and Cody Zeller.
Though the Hornets still have a shot at making it to the NBA playoffs, there are a lot of factors to consider. One is that they win most of their remaining games and hope that the Brooklyn Nets and the Boston Celtics falter and badly. And the worse part of it is that Stephenson may not even be around to help.
Stephenson has had lackluster numbers, a far-cry from the time he was with the Pacers. On whether he can turn that around instantly seems unlikely hence bringing up the likely scenario of the Hornets buying him out.
To recall, Stephenson shunned a five-year $44 million deal with the Pacers and accepted a three-year deal worth $27 million with the Hornets prior to the current season. Stephenson drew interest from a lot of other teams in the offseason but eventually settled to join the Hornets.
Stephenson had his moments last season but was a disaster in the playoffs despite the Pacers holding the home court edge.
And now the question surfaces on whether Stephenson is truly ready to be among the big wigs in the NBA superstar circle. Stephenson was given all the chances to blossom but at the rate things are going, he has become excess baggage and is dispensable as far as the Hornets are concerned.
