NBA Draft 2016: 5 players who could be traded on draft day
By Tom West
3. Jeff Teague
Jeff Teague is the logical stop after looking at Noel and Okafor. He’s the rumored piece for the 76ers to receive in exchange for Noel, a sound option at point guard, and one who will receive interest this summer. A deal out of Atlanta wouldn’t be too surprising after he was so heavily involved in trade rumors in February, and it may happen on draft night.
Plus, it’s no secret that current Hawks backup Dennis Schroder wants to be a starting point guard, which only increases the team’s need to make a choice between him and Teague.
ESPN’s Ian Begley reported in April that the Knicks may be interested in trading for Teague after showing interest at the deadline, already revisiting the idea in March:
"It’s also worth noting that the Knicks showed interest in trading for Jeff Teague prior to the 2016 trade deadline; there was some internal chatter last month about trying to revisit that this summer, league sources say."
Could a possible trade come on draft night? The Knicks don’t have any picks to use this year if that’s a route they would have been interested in, but with the Hawks at No. 21, they may receive offers by those just ahead (along with a player if need be) in exchange for Teague. Despite no longer being one of the NBA’s many All-Star caliber point guards, he’s still a proven commodity and that keeps his value relatively high for teams looking to make a jump closer to contention, and not growing young talent.
For the time being, Noel seems like the top candidate if Teague is traded, possibly heading to the 76ers in exchange for the young big man and a pick later in the first round. If not, dealing with another team is an option, too.
Next: Jimmy Butler