NY Knicks: No reason not to kick the tires on Lance Stephenson
The buyout market was disappointing for a few reasons. The main being the fact that not many players were bought out after Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge.
Many people expected Houston Rockets’ recent additions Kelly Olynyk and Avery Bradley to get bought out after they were traded to the team. There were many potential suitors looking to sweep up the veteran role players, but The Rockets elected to keep them.
The Lakers were one of the teams seemingly ready to make a move for Bradley but swiftly swept up Ben McLemore to make sure they got their depth. The Knicks had the flexibility to make a move for McLemore but really did not show much urgency in the market, even if it was a small one. So now that the buyout deadline has passed, they’ll have to turn to other options.
Lance Stephenson is a New York native – The now 30-year-old once balled for the famous Lincoln Highschool where many legendary New York hoopers have played. He has a reputation around the league that would certainly make him a fan favorite amongst NY fans, even in a small role.
The small role should be emphasized: We don’t need Lance Stephenson to come and save the team, we just need to add depth in case of injury. We’ve seen how chaotic things can get when multiple players get hurt or affected by COVID. A lot can happen in just a day.
Is Lance Stephenson in shape and ready to go? We don’t know. All we have his workout videos to go by. The NY Knicks should absolutely make the trip around the corner over to Brickley’s gym and see what kind of shape he’s in. He’s been putting in the work all season long, and at 30 years old could have a lot left in the tank.
A homecoming for a New York native could be beneficial for everyone, and it would be a lot of fun to see. Who knows, maybe Lance Stephenson would be rejuvenated playing for a Tom Thibodeau-led team.