The Atlanta Hawks have traded point guard Jeff Teague to his hometown Indiana Pacers in the NBA offseason’s first major move. The three-team transaction includes the Utah Jazz, who in exchange for former Pacers point guard George Hill will send Atlanta their No. 12 pick in the league’s upcoming draft on June 23.
First reported by The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the transaction implies the Hawks are ready to trust their 22-year-old point guard Dennis Schröder to lead their team into battle next season.
The Bulls are trading Rose to the Knicks for Robin Lopez, Jerian Grant and bigger package, sources tell @TheVertical
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 22, 2016
While what the Hawks will do with Utah’s No. 12 selection in the draft can be nothing but left to the imagination, the plethora of talented big men projected to go in the lottery range makes one wonder if the franchise is bracing for the potential loss of four-time all-star center Al Horford, who’s being hotly pursued by the Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons in free agency.
The Pacers, according to Wojnarowski, intend on signing Teague to a contract extension upon the completion of his current deal.
Teague, who has spent seven years with the franchise that drafted him, has just gotten his first taste of the business that is the National Basketball Association.
Hill, on the other hand, is no stranger to being dealt.
Drafted 26th overall by the San Antonio Spurs in 2008, he was dealt to Indiana during the 2011 NBA Draft in exchange for the Pacers’ No. 15 selection, which would precipitate into none other than super-star Kawhi Leonard.
The deal makes sense for a Jazz team which had trouble finding a starting-caliber point guard to run with Gordon Hayward last season.
Trying combinations with Raul Neto, Shelvin Mack and Trey Burke, Utah seems to have finally gotten its much-needed upgrade in Hill.
