Report: Indiana Pacers looking into Lance Stephenson trade, Hornets listening

The Indiana Pacers have engaged in preliminary talks with the Charlotte Hornets regarding the possibility of bringing shooting guard Lance Stephenson back into the fold.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, talks haven't exactly picked up but they are ongoing:

Per ESPN.com's Marc Stein, "sources told ESPN.com that the Hornets, just 23 games into the Stephenson era, have already begun the process of searching for potential trade partners that would be willing to take the talented but enigmatic former Indiana Pacer off their‎ hands."

While Stephenson has admittedly underperformed so far in Charlotte, the Indiana Pacers and head coach Frank Vogel already know exactly what it takes to extract the most out of the polarizing young guard.

Monday marks the first day that players signed to new contracts in July can be dealt, thus opening what many refer to has as "trade season" in the two months before the February trading deadline.

While the Hornets don't appear to be in a rush to offload Stephenson just yet, don't be surprised if Indiana stands alone as a favorite if trade talks do begin to heat up.

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