Atlanta Hawks: A look at Jeff Teague’s injury announcement

The Atlanta Hawks point guard Jeff Teague recently announced he played last season with a partially torn patellar tendon. What does this mean for Teague and the Hawks?

If you thought something about Jeff Teague was a little off this season, you were right. Teague dropped a huge bomb on fans, the Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers when he announced last week via a now deleted Instagram post that he played the 2015-16 season with a partially torn patellar tendon.

The deleted post read:

"They won’t tell y’all but I played with a tear in my patella the whole year and could barely jump or stop but it’s coo got that taken care #illbebackdunking #theywontsaythatpart"

So, Teague was injured, but no so badly that he wasn’t able to play at all.

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Not to mention, the timing of his announcement couldn’t have been better (worse); conveniently right around the same time that trade rumors concerning Teague and the 76ers began circulating.

Those who were not in favor of a Jeff Teague trade can take a deep breath, as the likelihood of the trade has plummeted as a result of his injury.

What could’ve sparked such a sudden important announcement? Was Teague simply upset with the Atlanta Hawks for not making his condition public knowledge? Could he have intentionally been trying to affect his own trade value?

Oddly enough, a few days after his injury announcement Teague headed to Instagram again. This time, to show appreciation for Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer. The post is now deleted, much like many of his other posts.

The image caption read:

"I got a lot of respect for this man it’s rare for people to care about you in this business but coach Bud is one of those guys who wants the best for you on and off the court #myguy"

There are also many ways that this post could be interpreted. Was Teague suggesting that there are no hard feelings about Coach Bud cutting back his playing time, or was he trying to mend fences with the Hawks after hurting his trade value?

Next: Atlanta Hawks: Will the Teague/Noel trade happen?

The Atlanta Hawks have made it evident that they are looking to get rid of Teague. The 76ers now have the option to pull out of the Jeff Teague/Nerlens Noel trade deal altogether, redefine it, or potentially obtain Teague for a lesser value. Teague had an MRI after the season and did not need to undergo surgery. It has been reported that he should be back on the court soon.