The New York Knicks have spoken with the Atlanta Hawks about a potential trade for point guard Jeff Teague, league sources tell ESPN.com.
The Knicks are one of several teams to express interest in the 27-year-old Teague. Yahoo! Sports reported Wednesday that Atlanta has been discussing potential Teague trades with multiple teams.
It’s unknown at this point how far along the talks between the Knicks and Hawks are but one league source said that casual discussions have been ongoing for several days.
It’s also unclear what the Knicks have offered in a potential Teague deal.
Several executives have labeled the Knicks’ trade assets as underwhelming.
New York could offer its current starting point guard, Jose Calderon, who is under contract through the 2016-17 season at an average of $7.6 million per season. That may be unappealing to Atlanta.
The Knicks could also offer second-year guard Langston Galloway or rookie guard Jerian Grant, but Atlanta dealt the rights to Grant to the Knicks on draft night in exchange for Tim Hardaway Jr.
If the Knicks want to include a first-round pick in a trade, their earliest trade-eligible pick is in 2018. New York also has a glut of big men, so Kevin Seraphin and Kyle O’Quinn may be available.
Obtaining Teague would likely change the Knicks’ offense immediately. New York is near the bottom of the NBA in pace and points scored off drives; Teague is known as a player who pushes the pace and can attack the rim.
It’s worth noting that Teague is under contract through 2016-17 and is scheduled to make $8 million next season. So bringing Teague on would impact New York’s cap space for the 2016 offseason. But having Teague under contract may be more prudent then chasing one of the top point guards on the market -- such as Mike Conley or Rajon Rondo -- and coming up empty.
Two players who could draw interest as trade chips: Arron Afflalo and Derrick Williams. Obtaining Williams or Afflalo would present an interesting prospect for Atlanta. Both players have a player option for 2016-17, so if the Hawks believe that Afflalo and Williams will opt out, trading for them would essentially be trading for an expiring contract. Expiring deals are valuable for teams looking to rebuild through free agency.