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A three-way deal between the Hawks, Pacers and Jazz went down this afternoon involving a player previously connected to the Sixers. While Jeff Teague didn't end up in Philadelphia, it would appear it wasn't due to lack of effort.
Courtesy of Jonathan Givony, the man behind Draft Express:
The 76ers were involved in trade discussions for both George Hill and Jeff Teague up until the very last minute. In the market for vet PG.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 22, 2016
You can slice this a few different ways depending on how you choose to approach the subject. Let's go on a rapid-fire tour:
- For those opposed to the rumored Nerlens Noel for Teague swap -- hey, that's me -- this is troubling on multiple fronts. Pressing this hard for a pair of middling point guards on expiring contracts seems insane given the Sixers position, particularly if you're dangling young talent like Noel or Okafor to acquire it
- A sunnier view -- Atlanta ended up accepting the No. 12 pick in exchange for Teague. This is good for the Sixers in that it amplifies the value of a young player like Okafor (provided you find a suitor) with much more room for growth and a significantly more team-friendly deal
- From Colangelo's perspective -- not forcing/overpaying for one of these guys (e.g. sacrificing Noel AND more in a desperate attempt to get someone once the bidding war got going) is a positive sign. We have no real idea what his urgency level will be at the helm, so while the involvement is a bit troubling, due diligence is never a bad thing
- One bad thing -- just as easily as you can paint this as "Colangelo stood firm in his valuation", it could also be more of a statement of leaguewide interest in their players. If Atlanta preferred No. 12 in a pretty brutal class to whatever the Sixers are offering, that could spell trouble for their hopes of getting a good deal tomorrow night
Lots to think about in the next 24 hours. Hopefully the Colangelo family doesn't have any trouble with the connection on their Skype call.