Translation, if the Sixers were to indeed make this deal, Teague would likely receive a max contract and cement himself as the starting point guard for the Sixer for the next five to six seasons. Today, there were talks about the 76ers sending Noel to the Hawks for veteran PG Jeff Teague. Noel improved his play once moved to power forward this past season and posted year-long averages of 11.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 1.8 steals and 1.8 assists per game. Sure, their presumptive choice Ben Simmons could be the franchise-altering talent they’ve been tanking for all these years, but he fills the same floor space as all of the Sixers’ other youngsters with potential. Noel isn’t as offensively gifted as Horford, but could make the team even better defensively. At Duke University, he earned the 2015 NCAA Men’s basketball All-American first team selection, ACC Player of the Year, and the USBWA National Freshman of the Year.
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Teague, a solid (read: good) starting point guard (15.7 PPG, 5.9 APG in 2016) and former All Star, would fill Philadelphia’s point guard hole in the short term – the very short term, because he’s a free agent next summer – but from here, the price is too steep. Is Teague what’s holding them back?
On the other hand, Teague is also heading into his final year of his current contract with the Hawks and will definitely be hoping to get more money than he has at the moment.
What can the Atlanta Hawks take away from that? You would be paying a tax for the right to give up the youngest player with the most upside in the deal, in addition to paying the returning player above market value at the most loaded position in the league. “He measured at 6’11.75″ with a 7’3.75” wingspan at the 2013 NBA Draft Combine, and is a fluid athlete who can play above the rim, run in transition, and switch on the pick-and-roll.
Noel’s health is a concern, but adding a potentially elite defensive player is a necessary course of action in Atlanta. Teague is a fine player, but his potential may have already been maxed-out.
Stauskas, though still only 22 years old, has been a “bust” to this point after landing as a lottery pick of the Sacramento Kings in 2014.
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More importantly, it’d give the Hawks two high-caliber young players who can play big minutes and develop into key assets to Mike Budenholzer’s long-term vision.
