Indiana Pacers Keeping Veteran For Rest Of Season

Lance Stephenson is being rewarded for his excellent play, as the Indiana Pacers will be signing him for the rest of the season after his 10-day deal is over.

The Pacers are expected to keep Lance Stephenson for the rest of the season, league sources say, thanks to his very strong play in this third Indiana stint that has won admiration from Pacers coach Rick Carlisle.

Stephenson has one day left on his initial Indiana hardship deal.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 9, 2022

Since joining the Pacers on a 10-day contract, Stephenson has exceeded initial expectations immensely. In four games, he has averaged 14.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per contest. With that, he became the first player to ever reach 20 points coming off the bench during the first quarter against the Brooklyn Nets. He'd end up with 30 points that night, and then followed that up with a 16-point and 14-assist performance against the Utah Jazz.

This kind of play from Stephenson was certainly unexpected. The 31-year-old last played in the NBA during the 2018-19 season with the Los Angeles Lakers before signing a 10-day deal with the Atlanta Hawks this season. With the Pacers, however, he's truly shined.

Stephenson previously played six other seasons with the Pacers over two different stints. Thus, he's already well-respected by the organization, but man, his play has taken that to a whole new level.

It's great to see that Stephenson will be staying with Indiana. He's truly earned the opportunity to.