The Charlotte Hornets traded Lance Stephenson to the Los Angeles Clippers, proving that they no longer wanted anything to do with him.
Last offseason, the Hornets thought that they made a splash in free agency by signing Stephenson, who at the time was coming off of a career year with an Indiana Pacers team that had just went to the Eastern Conference Finals. However, this pairing did not seem to work right away, and the Hornets were finally able unload Stephenson to the Clippers.
In return for their once-prized free agent signing, the Hornets received very little. To be exact, they received veterans Matt Barnes and Spencer Hawes, showing that they would have taken back just about anything.
With more than $17 million left on his contract over the next three seasons, Hawes is likely to remain on the Hornets’ roster as a backup to center Al Jefferson. Barnes, on the other hand, is a whole different story. As of now, he is owed $3.5 million next season. However, should the Hornets waive him by Wednesday July 1, something they are likely to explore, that number would go down to only $1 million.
This time last year, the Hornets were just coming off of their first playoff appearance in four seasons. The free agent signing of Stephenson was viewed as the move that could push this franchise into the upper echelon of a weak Eastern Conference, at least for the 2014-15 season. Today, this signing was confirmed to be a mistake.
However, the good news is that the franchise will no longer have to be reminded it.
Greg Sacidor is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Greg_Sacidor or add him to your network on Google.