New York Knicks Trade Rumors: Jeff Teague Trade Discussions With Atlanta Hawks
New York Knicks trade rumors suggest a Jeff Teague deal with the Atlanta Hawks could be close. These Knicks trade rumors indicate that the Hawks have been shopping the All-Star point guard and that discussions with the Knicks have already taken place. According to a report from CBS Sports, the Knicks are just one of several teams that the Hawks have approached about making a deal for Teague.
If the Knicks are going to continue running the Triangle offense, then Jeff Teague could be the perfect player to add to the roster. He works well in pick and roll plays and can shoot well from the perimeter. This is the type of player that Knicks President Phil Jackson could work well with and Teague could be seen as a big upgrade over Jose Calderon. It could all come down to what the Knicks are willing to trade in order to get this deal done.
These New York Knicks trade rumors could make a lot of sense for the team if it doesn’t have to give up a lot to acquire Teague. In 43 games for the Atlanta Hawks this season, he is averaging 14.3 points, 5.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He is a 37.7 percent shooter from three-point range and shoots 84.3 percent from the free throw line. Though his field goal percentage has dipped to 41.3 percent this season, Teague is a facilitator on offense who could help out Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis.
It would appear that Teague is available because the Hawks see Dennis Schroder as someone ready to take over as the starting point guard. Schroder is a rookie this season, giving the Hawks a lot of time at a low-salary level. Teague has just one more season after this one on his current deal, with an $8 million NBA salary for this season and the next. It’s part of a four-year, $32 million deal that he signed with the Hawks in July of 2013.
In the updated NBA standings, the Atlanta Hawks have the third best record in the Eastern Conference at 27-19. This makes it surprising that the Hawks are looking to shake up the core of the roster as the NBA trade deadline approaches. The goal in Atlanta could simply be to see what the value is that Jeff Teague holds on the market, but to not actually pull the trigger on a deal unless it heavily benefits the team. Atlanta averages 102.5 points per game with this lineup, ranking the team second in the East in scoring.
There have been a number of New York Knicks trade rumors recently, as the team is still a player or two away from being a playoff contender in the East. After losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, January 26, the team has fallen to 22-25 overall. That’s only good enough for 10th place in the East, putting the team two games behind the Indiana Pacers for the eighth playoff spot. It is clear to Knicks fans and NBA analysts that the team still needs to make a move before the trade deadline to have a strong chance at making the playoffs.
If the Knicks and Hawks agree to a deal, it is likely that Phil Jackson is going to have to give up some combination of Langston Galloway, Jerian Grant, and draft picks. If the team offers up a good draft pick, the Knicks may be able to match the salary of Jeff Teague with Kyle O’Quinn and Kevin Seraphin for starters. No clear package has been revealed in these New York Knicks trade rumors, but the team does have a lot of future draft picks it could make available to acquire a new starting point guard.
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