While folks in Boston debate whether the Celtics got fleeced in the Rajon Rondo trade, at least the Celts were able to find a buyer for their polarizing star. The Charlotte Hornets weren’t so fortunate.
The Hornets have decided to keep mercurial shooting guard Lance Stephenson “for now,” ESPN.com reports, mainly due to lack of interest around the league.
Seven teams expressed trade interest, ESPN’s Chris Broussard and Ramona Shelburne reported, but none made suitable offers for Charlotte. The Hornets are reportedly hopeful a nagging groin injury, rather than a poor attitude, is the reason Stephenson has failed to live up to the three-year, $27 million contract he signed last summer.
Stephenson was expected to help the Hornets, who earned a surprise Eastern Conference playoffs berth last season, take the next step toward serious contention. Instead, he is averaging only 10.2 points per game on 38 percent shooting from the field and 15 percent from beyond the 3-point arc, and his negative body language has been blamed for much of Charlotte’s struggles.
Thumbnail photo via Sam Sharpe/USA TODAY Sports Images
