Lance Stephenson Sent To Clippers For Matt Barnes And Spencer Hawes

The Charlotte Hornets have sent Lance Stephenson to the Los Angeles Clippers for Matt Barnes and Spencer Hawes.

Lance Stephenson Sent To Clippers

Stephenson, who has became infamous for blowing on the ear of LeBron James, was sent to the Los Angeles Clippers after just one year with the Hornets. In the 2014 offseason, the Indiana Pacers offered Lance a five-year contract worth $44 million. However, he thought the deal was too little and decided to sign with the Hornets for $27 million over three years and a possible fourth-year option.

Yet, his time with Charlotte was less than stellar, as the athlete saw a decrease in almost all of his numbers: in just 25.8 MPG, he garnered 8.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 3.9 APG, which were all down from his tenure in Indiana (35.3, 13.8, 7.2 and 4.6). As a result, there have been consistent rumors that the Hornets were looking to trade the 24-year-old shooting guard, with the Clippers always being toward the top of the list of teams likely to trade for him.

As for Charlotte’s side of the deal, they get proven veteran Matt Barnes, who averaged 10.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 1.1 APG in 2014-15, and Spencer Hawes. Similar to Stephenson, Hawes needed a fresh start, as he served primarily as a bench player throughout the last season. In fact, he only averaged 7.1 MPG during the Clippers’ long playoff run. On top of this, he comes off a season that was his worst since his 2007-08 rookie year: 5.8 PPG, 1.2 APG and 3.5 RPG.

Still Hornets’ GM, Rich Cho, thinks both players are a solid addition. “We are pleased to add a pair of proven veterans to our team. Spencer Hawes is an experienced big man whose outside shooting gives us additional flexibility on offense. Matt Barnes is an experienced veteran who knows the NBA.”