Atlanta Hawks point guard Jeff Teague (R) drives past Dallas Mavericks' John Jenkins. (Photo : Getty Images)
The latest buzz on the Atlanta Hawks possible trade intentions has involved the Orlando Magic.
The Magic has a collection of young players who could be very reliable rotation players but they are still very short on star potential. While the team has assembled a formidable team through the draft and trades, it's clear that they still need a true game changer.
Victor Oladipo is the highest draft pick of the Magic at no.2, but it was on one of the worst draft classes in recent history. Oladipo seems to be the catalyst of the team-pretty good but not a star that would take lead them to the next step.
This is one of the reasons why there is a lot of trade buzz about trading Oladipo according to Hoops Habit. One of their main sources is Frank Isola of the NY Daily News.
"Acquiring Oladipo would set up the Hawks to retool nicely with Schroder in the backcourt," HH said, noting the logjam at the point guard position between Teague and Dennis Schroder. Schroder has declared that he wants a starting job or else he would try and bolt, and the Hawks feel that he might be talented enough to deserve it.
While Teague became an All-Star last season, it has not reflected on his performance this season, and perhaps Atlanta would like to cash in on Teague while the trade value is still high. He might offer more experience to such a young team like the Magic and may take the starting reins away from sophomore Elfrid Payton.
However, the fans from the Orlando Magic side are having none of this. Most observers believe the trade seems fair, but Orlando Pinstriped Post believes their team should not pull the trigger on this one.
"Oladipo and Payton will continue to get better," OPP mentioned. "It's unclear if they'll be anything better than average starters, but they certainly have the potential to do much more. Trading for Teague, who will be reaching the end of his prime by the time he finishes his current contract, does not present that same upside."
Teague can still young enough to be a contributor but most pundits believe he has reached his peak, and that's not much better than Elfrid Payton now.
