Report: Only $100K of Stephenson's Pelicans contract is guaranteed
The Pelicans' signing of Lance Stephenson is extremely low risk
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1 min read
Despite a decent stint with the Memphis Grizzlies, Lance Stephenson remained unsigned for the majority of the summer until the beginning of September when the New Orleans Pelicans signed him to a one-year deal.
New Orleans' roster is already filled with guaranteed contracts so this was a rather low-risk move for the team to make. If Stephenson isn't a good fit in training camp and preseason, they can just cut him for basically no loss, as according to a report from The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski, only $100K of the contract is guaranteed.
Source: Only $100K guaranteed on Lance Stephenson's $1.22M minimum deal with New Orleans.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) September 15, 2016
This, if nothing else, shows how far Stephenson's stock has fallen in the league. Nearly an All-Star with the Pacers two seasons ago, Stephenson quickly became a journeyman after failed stops with the Hornets, Clippers and Grizzlies. If he wants to reignite his once promising NBA career, Stephenson will have to prove himself in New Orleans, otherwise there may not be another team interested in his services.
Stephenson, for his part, seems ready for the challenge and is not worried about getting paid:
A noble stance for Stephenson to take but he may need to provide more than his "love for the game" if he wants his NBA career to get back on track.
