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Los Angeles Lakers: LeBron James wanted to play with Lance Stephenson

By Nick Ziegler

CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 29: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers tries to get around Lance Stephenson #1 of the Indiana Pacers during the first half in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on April 29, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 29: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers tries to get around Lance Stephenson #1 of the Indiana Pacers during the first half in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on April 29, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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The Los Angeles Lakers signing Lance Stephenson was a surprising addition. However, it was LeBron James that reached out to him.

To start the offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers made a lot of additions when free agency kicked off. The Lakers were able to land their star in LeBron James, and the rest of the pieces began to fall into place.

One of the surprising additions after signing James was the addition of Lance Stephenson. James and Stephenson are no stranger to each other, as they have had multiple battles in the postseason. Stephenson is known for being a bit of a pest to play against, and he has had some success guarding James.

After a strong season with the Pacers last year, Indiana was considering bringing Stephenson back. However, according to their President of Basketball Operations, Kevin Pritchard, James spoke with Stephenson about coming to Los Angeles.

"“I think when LeBron calls you up and says, ‘I want you,’ it’s hard for him to turn that down,” Pritchard told reporters."

Considering their past, this might be a bit surprising to see James wanting to play with Stephenson. However, James certainly knows what Stephenson is capable of on the court, and he did end up signing with the Lakers.

Stephenson will likely be used off the bench for the Lakers, as he can provide them with a ball-handler off the bench. While he isn’t a great shooter, Stephenson does do a lot of other things on the court that makes up for that.

While James is usually best-suited being surrounded by shooters, Stephenson will likely be coming in for James when he needs his rest. The two will likely be on the court together at certain points, but using Stephenson as James’ sub makes sense for the Lakers.

In 22.6 minutes per game last season, Stephenson averaged 9.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. As mostly a bench player for the Pacers last season, Stephenson was very valuable for the Pacers.

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Even though he is not a superstar, Stephenson can provide the Lakers with a valuable asset off the bench next season. As a versatile player, Stephenson will be a welcomed addition to the Lakers.

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