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Windhorst: Could See Heat Having Some Interest in Lance Stephenson

By WQAM Staff

Just months after signing with the Charlotte Hornets, Lance Stephenson's name is already being thrown around the NBA's trade market. Could the Miami Heat pursue the enigmatic wing?

"I actually can see a scenario that the Heat would have some interest in Lance Stephenson," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on the Joe Rose Show this morning on WQAM. "I don't think they would trade anything of value for him, so therefore it's unlikely.

Windhorst mentioned Miami's confidence in their system as a reason to gamble on players perceived as problematic around the league. But the question would be what value they'd be willing to send back in return, considering the market for Stephenson has been cold.

"They don't have much of a market for him," Windhorst said. "The Indiana Pacers last year, they were on the verge of a mutiny in the locker room a couple of times because Lance drove them so crazy. And he's soured his new team within two months. So if you're doing your research on this guy, it's kind of hard to say I want to bring this guy on my team and it's really hard to say I'm going to give up anything of value for him."

Windhorst also shared his take on the Rajon Rondo situation in Boston and thinks the four-time NBA All Star will be moved "if not before January 10 and certainly by February."

"I think that there's interest in him only because the Celtics have lowered their expectations," Windhorst said. "There was a time when they were asking the sun, the moon, and the stars for him and now they realize he's probably not going to re-sign and he also hasn't been able to carry a team by himself.

"If he's your first or second best player he's probably not going to make you a great team. If he's your fourth or third best player you've got something. That's when the Celtics were at their best."

Some other nuggets from the interview:

Miami's injury woes: "In a way it's a reminder of how fortunate the Heat were over the last four years. There were moments when they had injury problems and certainly Dwyane missed a lot of games but they really dodged any serious injuries. I think the biggest injury they had was when Udonis hurt his foot in that first season otherwise they had extreme luck with injuries."

Winning now vs. 2016 Free Agency: "Then they went for the fences in 2010 and hit the home run and that's what I think the Heat are going to do ... go for the home run in 2016 and I think they have a good chance to be a very competitive team over these next two years, they're just not going to be a championship-level team."

Chris Bosh's relationship with LeBron James: "I don't think they were ever that close. I don't think they were very really friends. I think LeBron was always closer to Dwyane but I think they were great teammates. I think they really enjoyed playing with each other. They had some great success playing together."

LeBron's return on Christmas Day: "I think that the fans probably don't know how to feel. Obviously there's a lot of -- they're upset that he left but he was also the one who put those banners up there. He had a huge role in putting those banners up there. He brought two MVP awards and two titles. I assume that there will be booing but I don't know if there will be hatred from anybody. I think it's an awkward position for the fans to be in and it's probably a little awkward for LeBron too because he didn't leave Miami because he hated it or disliked it, he left Miami because he just wanted to go home, and this was his opportunity to go home."

Listen to all Joe Rose Show interviews here and be sure to follow WQAM on Twitter and Facebook

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