Indiana Pacers: Recent draft moves could spell a Lance Stephenson exit

With the Indiana Pacers having boosted their roster after selecting three new prospects in the recently concluded 2022 NBA Draft, the front office now has to put a laser on the upcoming free agency, where the team is in line to be a key player in view of their financial flexibility.

However, before they get there, they will have to decide the fate of their own free agents, one of which is Lance Stephenson, who is in his third tenure with the Blue and Gold.

The Indiana Pacers may not be too keen about re-signing Lance Stephenson following their latest draft picks

Having shown his value for the Pacers last season in a veteran leadership role, keeping Lance Stephenson seemed like a harmless proposition. After all, he was able to prove that he can be a positive contributor for the team on the floor without compromising his value when he is kept on the sidelines.

However, after the Pacers drafted Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard, both backcourt players, and Kendall Brown, a relatively raw forward, the team has an even more pressing need to address their frontcourt woes. Currently, the team has a logjam on the backcourt, making Stephenson far from a priority to keep in the offseason, if at all.

As the roster currently stands, Indiana has a staggering eight players in the backcourt signed for next season. On the other hand, they only have six players in the present to man the remaining three frontcourt positions, underscoring the imbalance that the Pacers have to urgently address in free agency.

Even the staunchest Stephenson fans would probably peg him as a bit of a long shot to remain on the roster at this juncture. Despite his solid contribution to the culture and galvanizing presence on the franchise, addressing the clear holes on the roster has to take primacy in how the front office maneuvers this summer.

Still, if Born Ready somehow lengthens his third tenure in the Circle City, it would be a positive surprise that should remain more beneficial than not. However, objectively speaking, it should only transpire if the Indiana Pacers manage to mitigate the roster issues that could put a cap on their ceiling as a competitive squad next season.