To update a story we covered earlier on Monday, it appears that the Los Angeles Clippers have acquired enigmatic guard Lance Stephenson from the Charlotte Hornets for Matt Barnes and Spencer Hawes.
Per Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, the two teams sent the trade into the league office on Monday night.
Stephenson, 24, averaged 8.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game in his only season with the Hornets after coming over from the Indiana Pacers in free agency last summer. However, he struggled big time from the field (38 percent) and seemed to fall out of favor about midway through the season, in large part due to his personality.
It’s a bold move for a Clippers team that is looking to get over the top in the Western Conference.
It also doesn’t come without a high price.
Wojnarowski is reporting that Los Angeles dealt Matt Barnes and Spencer Hawes to the Hornets in the deal. Barnes, pretty much a full-time starter for the Clippers over the past two seasons, was a locker room favorite. Meanwhile, Hawes had just signed a long-term deal with the Clippers last summer. The two combined to average nearly 16 points per game during the regular season.
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