Jeff Teague makes a lot of sense as a trade target for Utah, here's why
A look at a potential trade of Jeff Teague to the Jazz, what a deal would look like, and what the impacts on Alec Burks would be.
By
Matt Moore
•
4 min read
The Jazz probably need a trade in order to ensure they make the playoffs. They can make it without one, but with Portland hanging in, Sacramento lingering, and even the Nuggets holding on by a thread, the Jazz could use a move to separate them from those three teams.
So if they're going to make a deal, what position can they upgrade? Examining their roster, the easy answer is point guard. With Dante Exum out for the season with a torn ACL, the Jazz need an upgrade at the position, despite some nice young guys. One guard that fits the profile is Atlanta Hawks point guard Jeff Teague, who's reportedly available.
Are the Jazz interested? Well, there's conflicting information. Here's KSL.com:
It's real. Multiple league sources say that the Utah Jazz are indeed considering trading for Atlanta Hawks point guard Jeff Teague before February's trade deadline. While no formal contact has been made between the two sides, the Hawks primary decision maker Mike Budenholzer has a good relationship with both Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey and head coach Quin Snyder from their time together with the Spurs.
Source: Should the Jazz acquire Jeff Teague? | KSL.com.
And then there's Salt Lake Tribune:
They are open, if the right deal came along. But they aren't seeking a trade actively https://t.co/H6oQZNIooP
— Tony Jones (@Tjonessltrib) February 1, 2016
Where are the Jazz at with Exum, who showed promise as a young rookie but was also inconsistent?
Jazz love Exum and are 100 percent invested in him. https://t.co/6tkC22FH6S
— Tony Jones (@Tjonessltrib) February 1, 2016
Some mixed signals there.
Two facets come into play after figuring out what the plan is for the Jazz:
- What does this move mean for Exum?
- What does an actual speculative deal look like?
What about Dante Exum?
This deal would actually be the best thing possible for Exum. Teague has another year after this one on his contract, which would allow the Jazz to work Exum back in slowly and let him develop, much the same way that Atlanta has Dennis Schröder which has precipitated the talk of trading Teague in the first place. Exum will have to get back into game speed, and conditioning, and then make up all the development time he lost with injury. Being able to do so while working behind a veteran point guard who can mentor him would be valuable, and Teague could meanwhile work with a playoff team on increasing his value headed towards free agency.
Exum is the future of the franchise, until he proves he's not, but forcing him into a bad situation is not the way to go about developing him. It's the way to put too much pressure on him and stunt him to a degree. Setting him up behind Teague would work perfectly.
What does a potential deal look like?
Much like the Rudy Gay scenarios, these are all speculative; these are in no way based on any sourced information. This is more meant to look at what both teams would want in a potential deal.
Deal 1: Atlanta receives Alec Burks, Trevor Booker, a 2016 top-ten protected 1st round pick, a second round pick; Jazz receive Jeff Teague, Kent Bazemore
The picks are necessary on account of this being lopsided for Utah, but bear in mind two things. If you're moving Teague because you have Schröder, getting great return back isn't imperative. So getting a talented young player, a veteran, and two picks is really good. Bazemore is having a tremendous season, but will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, and Atlanta has to worry about maxing Al Horford before they do anything else. This gets them a hustle-junkie power forward to help with rebounding (a major concern) and a young wing they could develop into the versatile weapon they need on the wing. (Burks is recovering from a leg fracture so that injury would have to clear the physical to make it happen, and that alone might scuttle a deal).
On the other side, Utah gets Teague and a light-em-up forward that could also give them options should they want to pursue other trades on the wing.
Deal 2: Atlanta receives Alec Burks, Darrell Arthur, the Houston Rockets' 2016 lottery protected first-round pick from Denver, a conditional first-round pick from Utah; Utah receives Jeff Teague; Denver receives Kent Bazemore, Mike Muscala
The Burks addition for Atlanta we already covered. Arthur gives them a plus-defender who can stretch the floor and play with either of their forwards, or next to Tiago Splitter. Arthur has a great mid-range game and a high basketball IQ. He'd fit right in Atlanta.
The Jazz get Teague, but with nothing else coming in, they'll have to give up a heavily-protected first that may not convey; it's mostly for appearances.
Denver gets the kind of scorer and shooter they badly need in Bazemore, and a high-upside stretch four in Mike Muscala that can allow them to maybe make other moves in their crowded frontcourt, though losing Arthur would be a major blow to their defense.
Again, the specifics of these deals aren't crucial, it's judging the kind of value Teague has. Teague's an All-Star, but one that the Hawks are willing to part with because of Schröder, and if they can get value veterans and a pick in return, that's more than enough -- and may in fact be too much -- for a still in his prime point guard with playoff experience.
