The NBA trade rumors are starting to heat up even for teams right in the thick of the playoffs.
The Atlanta Hawks and the San Antonio Spurs are battling for a slot in their respective Conference finals. The Hawks are struggling against a resurgent Cleveland Cavaliers as LeBron James and his cohorts are firing on all cylinders while the Spurs lost only their second game at home in a controversial shocker to the OKC Thunder.
As every game is now being scrutinized, analysts have noted a lot of holes in their rosters of both teams. In a May 3 Jalen and Jacoby podcast with former NBA player now ESPN analyst Jalen Rose and David Jacoby, they ventured into the Atlanta Hawks point guard conundrum.
It was noticed that the Hawks favored Dennis Schroder at the position to the point that it kept former All-Star Jeff Teague on the bench. They went on to discuss how Teague was left behind by the team bus in Detroit. Rose then made the insinuation that he hoped Teague was "renting or leasing" in Atlanta.
Jacoby mentioned that it seemed like Atlanta wanted Schroder to "be something" and placing him in a position to be better, as he did when he recorded a career high 27 points in a losing effort. Then Rose said: "Don't be surprised when Teague is with the Spurs next year."
They went on to consider that Tony Parker is getting old and Patty Mills wasn't the reliable backup they perceived him to be. It was not mentioned how the Spurs would get him but it has to be via trade(as Teague is under contract for next season).
Teague was one of the stars that the Atlanta Hawks reportedly shopped around at the deadline. There were rumors that linked him to various teams like the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, even to the Houston Rockets who were all desperate for a point guard. In a recent ESPN report, the Knicks allegedly has the intention to revisit the trade attempt for the Hawks point guard.
However, the Spurs prediction was completely from left field. They were not perceived to be shopping for point guards since they had Tony Parker. But the best managed team in the league did not maintain their playoff streak without any foresight and preparation for players aging and retiring.
To Jalen Rose's credit, he correctly predicted that LaMarcus Aldridge would go to the Spurs months before it happened. This could mean that he may have sources close to the team.