Indiana Pacers: Fan favorite Lance Stephenson returns on 10-Day contract

The Indiana Pacers have five players in Health and Safety Protocols, which leaves them in need of players to fill their roster.

According to Scott Agness of The Fieldhouse Files, the Indiana Pacers are signing fan-favorite, Lance Stephenson, to a 10-day hardship contract.

With the Pacers in desperate need of playmaking and ball-handling, the franchise once again is turning to the man they call ‘Born Ready’.

When Malcolm Brogdon was dealing with an injury in the 2019-2020 NBA season, the Pacers were almost approaching the finish line to ink Lance Stephenson to another deal.

However, like most things in 2020, COVID put a pause on the season and the Pacers held off on making any roster moves.

When the 2019-2020 NBA season resumed in ‘The Bubble’, Malcolm Brogdon had enough time off to recover from his injury, and the Lance Stephenson reunion was halted.

Just like COVID-19 ended an NBA reunion for Lance Stephenson in 2020, COVID-19 then brought another opportunity for him in 2021.

On December 21, 2021, Stephenson signed a 10-day hardship exception with the Atlanta Hawks, under former Indiana Pacers head coach, Nate McMillan.

Stephenson was in the Hawks rotation for 5-games, averaging 12.8 minutes per game, and scored just 9-points total.

The Atlanta Hawks went 1-4 during Stephenson’s time on the team.

He played a minimal role off the bench for the Hawks, as their roster was depleted with COVID-19 cases. The Hawks trotted out 5 different starting lineups in all 5-games Stephenson played.

A few weeks prior, Stephenson talked with Bob Kravitz from The Athletic about accepting Charlotte’s contract offer over Indiana’s in the summer of 2014.

“Awww, yeah man. It haunts me. I have dreams where I’m like, I should have stayed in Indy. It was amazing there. It’s always been my second home. I should have never left.”

Signing Lance Stephenson doesn’t just help fill the Indiana Pacers roster, but it provides a much-needed spark for Pacers’ fans.

With the Pacers sitting at a lousy 14-22 record, inserting a fan favorite for a few weeks will reenergize this fan base to a certain degree.

Indiana Pacers fans across social media have been begging the front office to bring Lance Stephenson back home, ever since his option was not picked up in the summer of 2018.

Stephenson has a special place in the heart of Pacers fans, dating back to the long-physical series against LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and the Miami Heat in the 2012, 2013, and 2014 Playoffs.

Bringing Lance Stephenson back on this 10-day exception does not mean this reunion with the Pacers will last long.

However, this is a great opportunity for him, and with the way this season has played out, if Lance is able to contribute to this team and provide a much-needed spark, he could earn his way back onto the Pacers 15-man roster.

Lance Stephenson’s anticipated return will be this Sunday, January 2nd, against the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis are the only two current members of the Indiana Pacers who have played with Stephenson, and the last time they were on the court together was in Game-7 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.