Milwaukee Bucks Chasing Jeff Teague Again?

Trading for Teague

This is where it gets really difficult.

First and foremost, assuming that Teague is a certainty to be traded remains very far-fetched at this point. The Hawks are a talented and experienced team, who are well positioned in the East, and will be hoping to make a charge as the season nears its business end.

They were the Eastern Conference finalists last year and with the coaching uncertainty in Cleveland, I bet they’ll be hungry to make another run again. That in itself makes it unlikely that they’re going to frivolously trade away their experienced, starting point guard.

There’s even more to factor in too. Al Horford, who is arguably Atlanta’s face of the franchise, is in the final year of his current contract. Many would expect Horford to re-sign with the Hawks in the summer, but there are no certainties in the NBA, meaning this could potentially be Atlanta’s last go around with this current group. All the more reason to make the most of it, I would have said.

Then there’s Atlanta’s other point guard and the man who many feel is ready to take Teague’s place. Any move involving Teague would see the mercurial Dennis Schröder step into his place in Atlanta, but that’s certainly not as good of an idea as many casual observers of the Hawks might think.

Schröder is exceptionally talented, has good instincts and astounding physical gifts for a point guard. Whether it’s in Atlanta or elsewhere, it’s certain a lengthy career as a starter awaits him. The problem is that he still suffers from inconsistency, his basketball IQ has a long way to come, he can be prone to costly errors and he can struggle with closing out games.

The ceiling with Schröder is much higher, but on a team not dominated by limelight hungry stars, there’s a lot to be said for Teague’s steady and calming play.

Even if we’re to get back to assuming that the Hawks do pull the trigger, it then comes down to finding players who may be suitable fits for not only Atlanta’s style, but also the stage they are at in their pursuit of success.

The Hawks are certainly going to be looking for more than a random package of mediocre players on expiring contracts. Any player they take back will need to be able to help them, within their own role, straight away.

So for the Bucks, let’s start with which players could fit into Atlanta’s roster and philosophy.

Jerryd Bayless could certainly be a fit as a backup point guard if the Hawks wanted to move forward with Schröder in the driver’s seat. His 42.6 percent from deep would be to Mike Budenholzer’s liking, and on an expiring deal would not be too costly for the Bucks to part with.

Khris Middleton would certainly be a perfect fit in Atlanta in terms of their roster needs, but with the exceptional progress he has made I’m not even sure if it would be possible for the Hawks to construct a deal that would convince the Bucks to trade them Middleton.

Let me be clear on that too, it would be a terrible move for the Bucks.

If Greivis Vasquez could prove that he can come back and be healthy, his ability as a passer and a shooter could also hypothetically work out for Atlanta, but that’s a big if in itself.

The problem for the Buck is that that seems like the end of the list of players who could possibly feature in a deal.

In spite of the unblinking love some Bucks fans have for him, I’d be shocked if the Hawks felt that O.J. Mayo, a 38 percent shooter with a questionable attitude could help them. Nor would a team who already has backup big men like Tiago Splitter and the young duo of Edy Tavares and Mike Muscala, be overly interested in Miles Plumlee or John Henson.

The Hawks have often be rumored to be interested in Greg Monroe in the past, so in the unlikely event that the Bucks wanted to try something else and the Hawks were set on moving on from Horford, maybe that could create some options either.

You can probably feel the way this is going though. There isn’t really an obvious Hawks-Bucks deal on the table. If Milwaukee wants to bring Jeff Teague in, they’re going to need the help of a third, or maybe even a fourth team to get a deal done.

Any such deal relies on the good graces of others too, as they would be accommodating the Bucks by collectively gifting them Jeff Teague. That’s a messy business that comes down to everything somehow falling into place at once.

Milwaukee would not only have to find a team that are eager to move pieces that would interest Atlanta, but that would also have interest in some of the Bucks scraps from the dinner table.

The challenge of acquiring more talent via trade while still committing to a young core is that without being prepared to move picks (something the Bucks are likely reluctant to do following the Greivis Vasquez deal), that leaves very little that might appeal to trade partners.

Unfortunately in this case, I don’t think it’ll be possible for the Bucks to have their cake and eat it.

Next: Is Teague Worth Going After?