Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird thought he had newly-signed Charlotte Hornet Lance Stephenson in the bag with a few lucrative offers.
The Indiana Pacers moved swiftly when the free agent negotiating period opened by meeting with guard Lance Stephenson and his family, then putting two five-year offers on the table, president Larry Bird told The Indianapolis Star's Bob Kravitz. One of those offers was worth $44 million dollars, and Bird was sure it was a fair deal that provided long-term security.
Instead, Stephenson signed a three-year, $27 million contract with the Charlotte Hornets. The third year of the contract comes with a team option, meaning only $18 million is guaranteed. Bird was shocked, according to the Star.
"I really feel bad about losing him,'' Bird said. "I hope it doesn't interfere with our relationship. But I did what I could possibly do to keep him here. Even if he didn't have any other offers, I was committed to giving him that $44 million because I believe in the kid. If you look at our roster, we have five or six guys in the last year of their deals, plus David (West) and Roy (Hibbert) can opt out, so don't you think I wanted to keep Lance and Paul (George) locked into long-term deals?''
According to Bird, Stephenson and his agent didn't take the Pacers' original offer that averaged out at $8.8 million per year because they were after salaries of $12-14 million annually. Stephenson's camp eventually settled on the Hornets' offer at $9 million per year and the idea that he'll hit free agency once again to make even more money. It gets even more confusing when Bird tells the Star that Indiana was willing to sign Stephenson to a shorter-term deal.
While there's risk on Stephenson's part, it feels odd to criticize a player for taking less money considering how much NBA stars are knocked for taking more. That Stephenson left a team that drafted him, supported him and was willing to sign him to a long-term deal is odd.
Maybe it's more simple. Maybe Stephenson just wanted a change of scenery.
from SBNation.com - All Posts http://ift.tt/1kLXLIM
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