Atlanta Hawks: Should the Teague for Noel trade happen?

Rumor has it the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers are discussing a trade involving Jeff Teague and Nerlens Noel. Would this be a good deal, especially for the Hawks?

After seven seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, a move to the 76ers might seem unfair to Jeff Teague, but it could have its benefits. Philadelphia has been looking to acquire a quality starting point guard for a while, and the one-time All-Star could greatly help the young team.

On the other hand, there is a downside to the 76ers trading for Teague. In 2017, Teague will be an unrestricted free agent and could go choose to go anywhere. Philadelphia would only be guaranteed one year with Teague through this trade.

Noel, on the other hand, will be a restricted free agent in 2017. More time with Noel would be a possibility if Philadelphia chose to keep him.

Through the trade, the 76ers risk gaining Teague, but also losing him. Would it make sense to trade Noel for a player who could leave in free agency after one year?

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What about the Atlanta Hawks? How would the Teague-Noel trade be beneficial to them? Obviously Teague is worth more than Noel, so there would be more involved in the trade, potentially another player or draft pick.

Let’s break down the trade to nothing more than what each player could bring to the team.

After seven season, the Hawks know what they have in Teague. This season, the 6’2”, 186 lb. point guard averaged 15.7 points per game, 2.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists.

Though he is entering the prime of his career, Teague’s stats have actually regressed compared to the past two seasons.

In 2013-14, Teague averaged 16.5 points per game, 2.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists. He averaged 15.9 points per game, 2.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists in 2015-16. With the emergence of Dennis Schroder at point guard, there’s no question that Teague is prime trade bait for the Hawks.

But is Nerlens Noel the best candidate to trade Teague for? One factor the Hawks would acquire in Noel is youth, which is not uncommon coming from the 76ers.

He began his professional career when he was selected by the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft. Last season, the 6’10”, 228 lb. forward-center averaged 11.1 points per game, 8.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists. In 2014-15, he averaged 9.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists.

What can the Atlanta Hawks take away from that? Noel is a young player and a solid rebounder. But is he the right player? He certainly has potential. Then the question becomes, do the Hawks need to take on what could be another project?

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In the end, it’s a tricky trade. There are a lot of factors that come into play, especially concerning contracts, the potential trading of other Hawks, and the free agency of Al Horford. Noel is promising, but could be too much of a risk for the Atlanta Hawks. Could they acquire more for Teague?

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