The Atlanta Hawks are one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, yet it seems like they feel stuck in the middle, so they have reportedly made Jeff Teague available in trade talks. Teague was an All-Star just last season, so it is expected that he will garner a lot of interest on the trade market, but one of the early teams said to be having discussions with Atlanta is the New York Knicks, according to Fred Kerber of the New York Post.
The talks between the Knicks and the Hawks are said to be "very preliminary," but it should come as no surprise that the Knicks are showing interest. The Knicks have become relevant again this year, as they have been hovering around .500 and are only two games out of the eighth spot in the East. Despite the major improvement over last season, the Knicks still have one glaring hole, and that is at the point guard spot. Acquiring Teague would fill that hole for this year and next year, as he is signed for next season as well.
The Knicks aren't the only team to have contacted the Hawks about a possible trade, according to Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports, but they are one of the teams that make the most sense. The issue for the Knicks is that they don't have much to be able to trade in order to acquire Teague, so their chances of striking a deal are being ruled as improbable.
"It makes sense for the Knicks, but what do they have to offer? Teague is a good player under control for a low figure next year and then he'll enter the richest free-agency period ever," said one NBA executive.
It is unclear how serious the Hawks are about trading Teague at this point, but he is a guy they could probably get a lot back for. Teague is controlled beyond this season at a bargain price of $8 million, he is 27 years old and is coming off the best season of his career. Teague has taken a bit of a step back this season, but he has dealt with ankle injuries and is still one of the premier young point guards in the NBA. This offseason, the free agent point guard market is expected to be weak, especially considering Mike Conley is expected to stay in Memphis, so teams may be willing to give up even more for a guy like Teague.
The Knicks may not have the assets to be able to land Teague, but their interest is real, and it makes a lot of sense. The Knicks have been and will continue to be in the market for a point guard and Teague would seem to be the perfect fit, but Atlanta does not need to trade him, so they likely will not unless they get an offer that they really like.
