Soaring Down South
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Grading The Atlanta Hawks Offseason Moves

By Colby Giacubeno

Dec 29, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Kent Bazemore (24) moves the ball over Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 29, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Kent Bazemore (24) moves the ball over Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 1, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) celebrates a made three point basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the fourth quarter at Philips Arena. The Cavaliers defeated the Hawks 110-108 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 1, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) celebrates a made three point basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the fourth quarter at Philips Arena. The Cavaliers defeated the Hawks 110-108 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /

Trading Jeff Teague

As the postseason progressed for the Hawks, the vibe was that point guard Dennis Schroder would likely be the starter in the years to come. Head coach Mike Budenholzer showed willingness to play through the the 22-year-old German’s mistakes and set a vibe that he was more interested in Schroder’s development more than Teague becoming the definite point guard for the long-run under his reign.

Teague had been the floor general for Atlanta for all of his seven seasons in the NBA. He went from a 10.1 minute per game type of player to and NBA All-Star in 2015. In a league that’s dominated by superstar point guards, Teague is often overlooked, but his statistics don’t lie.

His 15.9 points and 7.0 assist per game average was crucial in helping lead the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2014-15.

Although Teague had grown significantly with the organization, the results were becoming stagnant as the Hawks continuously finished their season in the first or second-round of the playoffs. They began testing the market for Teague mid-way through last season, but waited for this summer to actually follow through.

Teague was then traded to the Indiana Pacers in a three-team trade that included the Hawks receiving the No. 12 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft from the Utah Jazz. They ended up turning that pick into Taurean Prince, a versatile wing from Baylor who has drawn comparisons to former Hawk DeMarre Carroll.

It was time to move on from Teague and allow Schroder to make or break this opportunity of becoming the starting point guard for this franchise. Sure, they would’ve liked to trade Teague for a pick and a productive, experienced player, but Prince has the potential to be a nice addition immediately.

Final Grade: A-

Next: The Return of the Hometown Star