Pacers sign Lance Stephenson to another 10-day contract
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NEW ORLEANS — The Pacers signed Lance Stephenson to his second straight standard 10-day contract and fourth 10-day deal overall Monday, hours before wrapping up their five-game Western Conference trip at New Orleans.
Stephenson's latest 10-day contract runs through Feb. 2. Afterward, Indiana can't sign him to another 10-day deal and must either sign him for the rest of the season or cut him. The expectation, per NBA reporter Marc Stein, formerly of ESPN and The New York Times, is that Stephenson will remain with the Pacers through the end of the 2021-22 campaign.
Signing Stephenson to multiple 10-day contracts gives Indiana more roster flexibility ahead of the Feb. 10 trade deadline, Stein said.
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Stephenson initially signed with Indiana on Jan. 1 via the NBA's COVID-19-related hardship exception, allowing teams to sign a replacement player for every player who enters the league's health and safety protocols. The 10-year NBA veteran signed a second 10-day hardship deal Jan. 11, but when all of Indiana's players exited COVID-19 isolation, the franchise had to sign Stephenson to a standard 10-day contract Jan. 14 so that his salary is included in the team's salary cap.
Stephenson scored an NBA-record 20 points off the bench in the first quarter in a loss to Brooklyn on Jan. 5, dished a career-high 14 assists in a win over Utah on Jan. 8 and had another strong performance Saturday night in a loss at Phoenix. He tied rookie guard Chris Duarte for the team high with 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting,
Stephenson, in his third stint with Indiana, was drafted 40th overall by the franchise in 2010. The 6-5 guard has appeared in 11 games with the Pacers this season, averaging 9.5 points, 3.6 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 19.0 minutes.
Follow IndyStar Pacers beat writer James Boyd on Twitter: @RomeovilleKid. Reach him via email: jboyd1@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers sign Lance Stephenson to fourth 10-day deal
