Dennis Schroder has made it known that he would like to start, and Jeff Teague has just a year left on his contract. With draft day approaching it appears more and more likely that one of the two will be dealt. While Teague is the more polished product, Dennis has legitimate potential going forward. Al Horford and Kent Bazemore are both free agents this offseason, and Kyle Korver is no spring chicken. There are three positions the Hawks must address going forward and dealing Teague can help the team deal from position of strength while opening up more cap room. Let’s take a look at some potential Teague deals that could help the Hawks going forward.
Hawks trade Jeff Teague, Tim Hardaway Jr. and the 21st overall pick to the Indiana Pacers for Monta Ellis, 20th overall pick
A homecoming for Jeff Teague. The Pike High School star is dealt back to his home state of Indianapolis, where is he likely to re-sign given that the team performs in 2016-17. Teague was a much more efficient player than Ellis last season despite playing with an injury. He offers a big time upgrade over George Hill and Hardaway Jr. adds soem intrigue after his hot second half. For the Hawks, the trade is perfect. They move up a spot in the Draft and get a guy they have pursued in past offseasons in Monta Ellis. He provides them with the scorer they have so desperately needed. With Schroder being a young starter, the move allows Kyle Korver to be moved to the bench and for Ellis to take over the backup point guard minutes. With the 20th pick the Hawks select Malachi Richardson.
Hawks trade Jeff Teague, 21st overall pick to the Houston Rockets for Trevor Ariza, Clint Capela, and the 37th and 44th overall picks
The Rockets finally add the true point guard of quality they have seeked for so many seasons while adding a first round pick, something they do not have in this year’s draft. In return, the Hawks upgrade at the wing and find Kent Bazemore’s replacement. Ariza has around the same annual salary as Teague but is under contract for two more seasons. In Coach Bud’s system, where he uses 3-and-D specialists to create space, Ariza can be so dangerous. He is a great defender and is a perfect fit for the Hawks. The team also essentially nets a draft pick in the young Center Clint Capela. The 22-year old made big strides this past season and offers a nice insurance policy in the case that Al Horford walks and the team cannot find a replacement at Center. However, this free agent class is loaded at the position, so the Hawks will likely sign someone. This would allow the Hawks to salary dump Tiago Splitter and gain cap space for free agency. The Hawks collect two more second rounders, giving them four overall. They decide to make a trade with these assets…
Hawks trade Tiago Splitter and the 37th, 43rd, 44th and 54th overall picks to the Toronto Raptors for the 27th overall pick
The Raptors replace Bismack Biyombo before another team gives him ridiculous money. The Hawks get their salary dump and select Taurean Prince.
Hawks trade Jeff Teague and the 21st overall pick to the Memphis Grizzlies for Tony Allen, Matt Barnes and the 17th overall pick
Word on the streets is that Mike Conley is headed out of town, and if the organization feels that is inevitable then Teague could be an ideal replacement. The Hawks grab one of the best defenders in the league in Tony Allen, who can run a platoon at shooting guard with Kyle Korver or slide into the starting small forward spot. Adding Allen could cement the Hawks as the best defensive team in the NBA. Matt Barnes fits the system great and is a nice role player for the team. The team also moves up a handful of spots in the draft, and in turn they select Malik Beasley. The team gets real deep on the wing with this trade.
Hawks trade Jeff Teague, 21st overall pick to the Utah Jazz for Rodney Hood
The Jazz have been looking for their starting point guard to complement their young core, and a Jeff Teague-Quinn Snyder reunion could make them a playoff team in the Western Conference. This allows them to go with Alec Burks at shooting guard and gives them another first-round pick, which they could use as ammunition to get into the top 10. The Hawks get a young shooting guard in Hood, which allows them to shuffle Kyle Korver to the bench. The Hawks save over $6.5 million in cap space with this deal heading into free agency. Schroder and Hood would be a fun duo to watch develop.