Lance Stephenson #1 of the Memphis Grizzlies posts up against Iman Shumpert #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half at Quicken Loans Arena on March 7, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo : Jason Miller/Getty Images)
The Cleveland Cavaliers finally ended their title drought after winning the NBA championship last season. Fresh from their title campaign, the Cavaliers are already facing tough decisions this summer.
The Cavaliers want to keep their roster intact but J.R. Smith, Matthew Dellavedova, Timofey Mozgov, James Jones and Dahntay Jones will hit free agency on Friday. Smith played a vital role in their title campaign but could leave if he gets a big offer elsewhere. But in the event Smith leaves, the Cavaliers could focus on signing Lance Stephenson.
According to Matthew Hallett of FanSided's Hoops Habit, Stephenson could help the Cavaliers retain the title next season. The mercurial guard will be a free agent this summer after the Memphis Grizzlies declined to exercise their team option on Stephenson. Several teams will make a strong push to sign Stephenson.
Stephenson could bring tension to any locker room in the league because of his personality, but Cavaliers superstar LeBron James proved numerous times that he can handle his teammates well. Smith was initially viewed as a locker room problem but James took him under his wing, helping Smith treat his career seriously.
James could do the same to Stephenson if the 25-year-old decides to join the Cavaliers this offseason. Cleveland will also benefit from Stephenson's versatility on both ends of the floor, which makes him a good fit to the defending champions.
"The defense, scoring and playmaking that Stephenson can bring when he's playing at his best would help bolster the Cavs rotation, especially when they decide to play small ball," Hallett noted. He added that these reasons are enough for the Cavaliers to at least make a run at Stephenson when free agency begins on Friday.
Stephenson spent the first half of the 2015-16 NBA season with Los Angeles Clippers, where he averaged just 4.7 points in 15.8 minutes. But after getting traded to the Grizzlies, the former Cincinnati standout posted 14.2 points and 4.4 rebounds, and also performed well during the 2016 NBA Playoffs.
It remains to be seen, though, whether or not the Cavaliers will pursue Stephenson. Cavaliers general manager David Griffin has already declared that they will do anything possible to keep their roster intact. "We do intend to keep this group together and see what we're capable of," Griffin told ESPN.
Watch Stephenson's 2015-16 NBA season highlights below.
