23 year old shooting guard Lance Stephenson lands a 3 year contract with the Charlotte Hornets worth $27 million. The free agent will be wearing the Hornet's jersey in the next three years with a team option for the last season.
It is expected that Stephenson will be introduced on a press conference this coming Friday. Stephenson has wrote on his twitter account announce the change of team "Indy, I had a great 4 years. Thank you Larry Bird, the fans, my coaches and teammates for the incredible experience. I will never forget any of you! I now have to look to the next phase of my career and the wonderful opportunity to continue to grow as a player and as a person in Charlotte! I'm excited to play for this franchise and the fans!! (hash)buzzcity."
Indiana Pacers offered Stephenson with a five year contract for $44million but the star opted to choose a contract with lesser number of years.
According to his agent Alberto Ebanks in a statement given "While we tried our best to come to the best possible terms for both sides, there was not sufficient flexibility in the terms of the contract, particularly the length of the contract. Lance will miss the city, the team and the mentor who helped transform him into the dynamic player he has become. He looks forward to making a strong contribution and beginning a new chapter with the Charlotte Hornets."
He added "'Lance is forever grateful for all the love he's received from Pacers fans. He is especially grateful to his teammates, Frank Vogel, Herb Simon, the Pacers management and most of all, Larry Bird."
Stephenson averaged 13.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in 40.2 minutes per game during the Eastern Conference finals.
But Stephenson was not Hornet's man of choice. Hornet's first chose restricted free agent Gordon Hayward but Utah matched their offer.
It was last Tuesday when the shooting guard met with the Hornet's executive together with the owner Michael Jordan to check if Stephenson is fit for the team. Stephenson is a great player for the Indiana Pacers and he will definitely be a big loss to the team.
