The Los Angeles Clippers are rumored to be open in dealing one of their summer acquisitions.
The Clippers overcame a shaky start in the 2015-2016 NBA regular season as they now sit at the fifth spot in the Western Conference standings with a 12-9 record.
However, the Clippers still look far from the contenders they were last season with inconsistencies from the team's summer acquisitions. This leads to LA trying to shop Lance Stephenson, who has never clicked within Doc Rivers' system.
According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports, the Clippers "gauge trade interests" in Stephenson last month as the team looks to bolster its chances of contending for an NBA title.
Stephenson was traded in the offseason by the Charlotte Hornets after the first season of his three-year $27 million contract. He is averaging only 5.4 points and 3.2 rebounds on 19 minutes, and was demoted to the bench after starting 10 games for the Clippers.
Spears noted in his story an NBA executive who believes Stephenson has "not much of a market" for the Clippers, but opened to the possibility that the former Hornets SG could go back to the Indiana Pacers, where he started his career.
While this rumor looks farfetched with Stephenson not getting much value due to his decreased production, the timing could be right for the Clippers and the Pacers.
The Pacers are reportedly looking at trading swingman Solomon Hill, despite the team's hot start this year, according to ESPN.
Hill, selected by Pacers in the first round of the 2013 draft, fell out favor in Frank Vogel's rotation despite playing the full 82 games last season on an average of 29.0 minutes per contest.
The Clippers could swap Stephenson for Hill, along with another player, although it is unlikely the Pacers would do such deal as their team is already loaded with shooting guards.
The Pacers may not be the potential takers for Stephenson's contract and his career-low outputs, but with the trade deadline fast approaching, the Clippers may be able to find a team interested in Stephenson.