LA Clippers NBA 2015 trade news: Lance Stephenson on the way?

Lance StephensonReuters

The Charlotte Hornets have finally found a taker for Lance Stephenson who didn't exactly pan out last season.

According to a report from Yahoo Sports, the Clippers have formalized a deal to land the controversial player in exchange for Spencer Hawes and Matt Barnes.

The Hornets found themselves in a hole, not just because of the underperforming season of Stephenson which saw him sitting out a large chunk of the year due to injuries.

After a credible last season with the Pacers, Stephenson was hot commodity last offseason. And just when everyone though he could bring the same kind of tenacity and efficiency in Charlotte, such didn't happen. In fact, the Hornets found themselves stuck with Stephenson who is owed $9 million.

Once the deal is finalized, the Hornets can look to move forward with their new acquisitions who can hopefully help out their next campaign.

On the other end, the move is seen as a high-risk move for the Clippers. But with a veteran coach in Doc Rivers, the move could be both beneficial to the Clippers and to Stephenson as far as getting his career back on track.

Stephenson actually carries two more years in his last contract but the Clippers will only be obligated to pay him for the coming season since the final year (2016-17) will be a team option.

With the move, it remains to be seen if Stephenson can get in sync with Chris Paul. He struggled alongside Kemba Walker, dominating most of the offense. Paul on the other hand has been known to get his teammates involved, something which can hopefully be beneficial to the 24-year-old shooting guard.

Stephenson was the 40th pick in the 2010 draft by the Indiana Pacers. He has been known to be a temperamental shooting guard and known to play mind games to get under the skin of opposing squads.