The Philadelphia 76ers have been long rumored to be willing to move one of their bigs that they have drafted in recent years, and on Thursday evening, a rumor surfaced that was congruent with such.
Shams Charania of The Vertical is reporting that the Sixers are in talks with the Atlanta Hawks to move Nerlens Noel for point guard Jeff Teague:
Atlanta and Philadelphia are discussing a deal centered on a Jeff Teague and Nerlens Noel package, league sources tell The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 2, 2016
Charania detailed in his report with The Vertical that an agreement isn’t imminent. The trade would make sense for both sides, as the Hawks are looking for another big man with some youth, and the Sixers really need a point guard. Jeff Teague would be a big upgrade for them, when you compare him to some of the other players they’ve put on the floor the past few seasons.
The Hawks would very much like to move Teague, as his contract is up after the 2016-17 season, and Dennis Schröder waiting and hoping to become the starting point guard of the future in Atlanta. The two guards had their ups and downs all season, but many in the organization seem to be ready to roll the dice, and bet on Schröder’s ceiling.
Noel will also be a free agent in 2017, but will likely be more affordable than Teague, and will be restricted. The Hawks would love to add his athleticism and size to their bench, as they haven’t had much production from bigs off their bench for quite some time now.
For the Sixers, even if this isn’t a blockbuster move that’s going to turn the franchise around in a speedy fashion, it definitely appears that there is a new process going on in Philadelphia.
