Southeast Notes: Stephenson, Wall, Butler

If the Hornets decide to move Lance Stephenson before February’s trade deadline, Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders sees a handful of teams that could be interested. Stephenson left the Pacers for Charlotte in the offseason, signing a deal that pays him $9MM each of the first two seasons, with a $9.4MM team option for 2016/17. However, the Hornets have stumbled to a 6-16 start, fueliing speculation that Stephenson might be moved. Koutroupis speculated that the Nets, Mavericks, Hawks, Nuggets and perhaps the Spurs would be
potential fits for the shooting guard.

There’s more news from the Southeast Division:

  • John Wall wasn’t convinced that he had earned a maximum extension before the 2013/14 season, reports J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. Luckily for him, the Wizards had no doubt. “I was still in shock,” he said. “I thought I was still the player that hadn’t developed, hadn’t proved anything.” The Wizards’ belief in Wall paid off as he became an All-Star last season and led Washington to the playoffs. The first pick in the 2010 NBA draft, Wall is making nearly $15MM this year and is under contract through the 2018/19 season.
  • Wizards teammate Rasual Butler is making the most of his second chance in the NBA, writes Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. Unable to find an NBA job in 2012/13, Butler spent the season in the D-League, then played limited minutes last year in Indiana. But at age 35, he has become a valuable part of Washington’s rotation, ranking third in the league in three-point shooting percentage. “I was able to learn a lot about myself during that time,” Butler said. “I knew I had something more to give to this game. . . . I kept going to work out, wanting to have another opportunity, but also telling myself that when the opportunity would come, I would be prepared for it.”
  • New Hawks diversity and inclusion officer Nzinga Shaw told Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today that she hopes to establish a diversity and inclusion counsel made up of team employees and community members. Shaw, who had been with the Edelman PR agency, was formally hired by Atlanta this week. The Hawks were embarrassed this summer when a racially insensitive e-mail from co-owner Bruce Levenson and racially tinged comments by general manager Danny Ferry about free agent Luol Deng were made public.
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