Just a day before the 2016 NBA Draft, the first of many potential trades surrounding draft day has been made. The Atlanta Hawks, Utah Jazz, and Indiana Pacers have agreed to a three-team deal that will move two point guards and a lottery pick in this year’s draft.
NBA Three-team Trade Moves Point Guards, 2016 Draft Pick
Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical broke the story on Wednesday afternoon:
Sources: Utah is sending the No. 12 pick in Thursday's Draft to Atlanta as part of deal that sends George Hill to Utah, Teague to Indy.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 22, 2016
As Wojnarowski reports, the deal will send the 12th pick in tomorrow’s draft to the Hawks. The Hawks will, in turn, send starting point guard Jeff Teague to Indiana, as the Pacers ship their own point guard, George Hill, to Utah.
Atlanta had been reported to be on the brink of moving Teague at the 2016 trade deadline in February. The Hawks may now be looking to rebuild, using young players and draft picks, since their starting center Al Horford has a chance to leave the team this July as an unrestricted free agent. The lottery pick that the Hawks acquired, number 12, is in addition to their own pick, which is 21st overall in tomorrow’s draft.
On Utah’s side of the deal, the Jazz had been rumored to be looking for a starting point guard all season, and it appears that they’ve now found their guy in Hill. Utah’s prize point guard, 20-year-old Dante Exum, was the fifth overall pick in the 2014 Draft, but the Jazz have tried to acquire a new point guard ever since Exum tore his ACL last summer. The Jazz finished just one game short of making the playoffs in the Western Conference this past season, with a win-loss record of 40-42. Their acquisition of point guard Shelvin Mack at the trade deadline was never meant to be a long term solution, so they’ll look to Hill to help guide them to the postseason for the first time since the 2011-12 season.
For Indiana, this trade shows that the Pacers are looking to shake things up and find an extra playmaker on the perimeter alongside Paul George, after struggling to find offense throughout the season and especially in their first round playoff loss at the hands of the Toronto Raptors. Teague will provide the Pacers a better ball handler and more dynamic off-the-dribble scorer than Hill ever was. Although Hill has always been a better defender than Teague at the point of attack, Indiana shouldn’t have too many problems on that end, as the Pacers finished third in defensive efficiency this past season. Indiana’s problem has always been scoring – the Pacers were the eighth worst team offensively this past season – and Teague can create better shots for both himself and his teammates. Additionally, Teague is an Indiana native, meaning that this trade will allow him to play for his hometown team. The Pacers intend on signing Teague to a contract extension, according to Wojnarowski, which would keep Teague in Indiana beyond next season.
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