New York Knicks Rumors: Jeff Teague A Trade Target?

New York Knicks Rumors: The Atlanta Hawks are currently fielding offers for PGs Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder and the Knicks are one of the interested teams.

The New York Knicks are hanging tough this season with a 22-25 record. They are right on the cusp of a playoff spot in the improved Eastern Conference, and should be able to make a push the remainder of a season for one of the last spots. One of the areas that they need to improve upon if they want to make that push is the point guard spot.

We discussed earlier about one free agent, Tony Wroten, who was available that could potentially help the Knicks out if they went that route. They could also try the NBA D-League route, where they found success last season with Langston Galloway, by signing their own D-League player, Jimmer Fredette. But, could the Knicks have a trade avenue opening up for them to acquire a point guard?

That could be the case, as the Atlanta Hawks have reportedly opened up for business with their point guards Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder. Most of the calls thus far have been coming in for Teague, and one of the teams that have been in contact with the Hawks is the Knicks.

In addition to the Knicks, the Milwaukee Bucks and Utah Jazz have also expressed interest in acquiring Teague. According to an ESPN report, the Jazz would be prepared to offer a package of Trey Burke and Alec Burks to get a deal done with Atlanta. At this time, it is unknown how far talks between the Knicks and Hawks have gotten, or if a package has even been offered from New York; all that is known is that the Knicks and Hawks have engaged in conversations the last couple of days.

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The Knicks and Hawks have a good relationship, as they have already made a trade together in the past year, as the Knicks sent Tim Hardaway Jr. to Atlanta for the draft rights to Jerian Grant on the day of the 2015 NBA Draft. That can never be a bad thing having prior trade experience with a team if you are going to try and make another one.

The problem for the Knicks is what kind of package could they offer Atlanta? If the report about the Jazz package is true, the Knicks cannot compete with that player wise. They do not have many young players like that outside of Grant, whom the Hawks traded to the Knicks, Galloway and rookie Kristaps Porzingis, who is going nowhere. Cleanthony Early would also fit into this category, but he is dealing with a knee injury from the robbing and shooting incident he suffered a couple of weeks ago.

One player that is fair to assume the Knicks would try to make a part of the package is Jose Calderon. The money on the contracts match up, so the Knicks would try and fit him into any deal they make. They could offer their 2018 first round draft pick, as it is the soonest draft pick they are allowed to offer. They also have a glut of big men, and could put a player such as Kyle O’Quinn or Kevin Seraphin in the offer.

A package of Calderon, O’Quinn/Seraphin, Early and a 2018 first-round pick does not seem like it would entice the Hawks too much, so the Knicks may have to get creative if they want to land Teague by potentially adding a third team.

It is no question that Teague would be a huge upgrade for the Knicks at the point guard spot, as they would no longer be a sieve defensively, while also improving offensively. Teague is a strong fit for the Triangle offense they run, as he can be a spot-up shooter, slasher that can attack the rim or play in the pick-and-roll. His athleticism and ability to play in the open court would also benefit the Knicks, as they are currently last in the NBA in fast break points per game.

Acquiring Teague would eat into their cap space for this summer, but it would also gaurentee them having a point guard in place on the team. We have seen in the past what building and saving cap space can do, as the Knicks would be making a gamble hoping to land someone like Mike Conley or Rajon Rondo in free agency.

We are still far away from a Teague to the Knicks trade happening it seems, but it is something to keep an eye on. If the Hawks are seriously looking to move either Teague or Schroder, the Knicks should definitely get into the fray and try to get it done.

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Making the playoffs is an attainable goal this season, and their chances of doing so would improve greatly if they could acquire a player of Teague’s caliber.