Veteran guard/forward Lance Stephenson is back in the NBA. Well, sort of.
He’s back with an NBA franchise — or more specifically, his returning player rights have been acquired by the Iowa Wolves, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ affiliate in the G League.
Stephenson was acquired by the Wolves from the Grand Rapids Gold, though he was wasn’t playing there. He last played anywhere in the spring, when he appeared in four games in the Puerto Rican league.
Mostly known for trying to annoy LeBron James (and probably a few others), Stephen last played in the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers. Interestingly, he teamed up with James with the Los Angeles Lakers before that, in 2018-19.
He also spent time with the Timberwolves in 2017, as well as the New Orleans Pelicans, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies and Charlotte Hornets before that. He did indeed play for the Gold, though whether he will report to Iowa isn’t yet official.
Though it’s hard to imagine the team announcing Stephenson’s acquisition if they didn’t think he’d join.
Iowa sent the returning player rights to guard Craig Randall back to Grand Rapids. The Wolves sit at 3-9 in the Showcase Cup standings, one win more than the Gold. (Full G League standings.)
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