New York Knicks reportedly interested in Jeff Teague
Nov 16, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Atlanta Hawks point guard Jeff Teague (0) drives to the net as New York Knicks power forward Andrea Bargnani (77) defends during the first quarterat Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
According to Marc Stein of ESPN, the New York Knicks have interest in Atlanta Hawks point guard, Jeff Teague.
Knicks' focus leading into Thursday trade deadline is upgrading at point guard. And word is a new name intrigues them: Atlanta's Jeff Teague
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 17, 2014
With the trade deadline approaching this Thursday, rumors have begun to pick up all over the league about players that could potentially be on the move. Although the NBA trade deadline is historically not as frantic as the MLB trade deadline, over the years, there have still been a fair share of blockbuster moves.
On the surface, this report seems a bit far-fetched, simply because the Hawks just signed Jeff Teague to a 4-year, $32 million deal this offseason, matching the offer from the Milwaukee Bucks. A free-agent scenario that was very interesting to some, because many reports claimed that Teague did not want the Hawks to match the offer, and that he was intent on playing for former Hawks coach Larry Drew in Milwaukee.
Stein does note that a trade may be difficult, because of Teague’s ability to waive any trade:
There are issues if Knicks make full-on play for Teague, who has right of first refusal on any trade after Hawks matched offer sheet in July
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 17, 2014
Also: Teague not only must approve any trade but also owns long-term deal that slices into Knicks' projected flexibility for summer of 2015
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 17, 2014
Also if the Hawks are interested in trading Teague, what would they be looking to receive in return? The Knicks have have given away seemingly every upcoming draft pick, and really only have two interesting assists in Tim Hardaway Jr and Iman Shumpert. If the interest from New York is real, like Stein’s report indicated, it is possible that a third team could be included to get the Hawks more desirable assists.
The Knicks seem to be desperate to make something work, especially with Carmelo Anthony on the verge of free-agency and Amare Stoudemire looking like his best days are long behind him. While injuries have hampered Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton, it is debatable how much Teague would even help the Knicks, but that’s an issue for New York to contend with if a deal is struck.
Teague has had an up and down season this year for the Hawks. Although 15.6 points per game and 7.2 assists per game would both be career highs for Teague, he has been extremely inconsistent and has seen his turnovers spike to 3.1 per game. Teague is shooting 41% from the field and just 25% from three point range, with both marks representing his lowest since his rookie season. With Al Horford out, Teague has seen a 26% usage rate this season, however despite seeing more of the ball on offense, Teague has not seen an increase in efficiency and/or production on the whole.
Shelvin Mack has served as a serviceable back up to Teague this season averaging 7.2 points per game, while rookie Dennis Schroeder has seen limited action. We could dive deeper into their ability to replace Teague if/when a deal went down, but until that point, it is pure speculation. Stay tuned for updates as they arise.