Philadelphia 76ers Pursue Ben Simmons w Brandon Ingram?
By Bret Stuter
Spec-Teague-ular
Now the point guard. With Ben Simmons on the court, you are looking for a player who can score and defend. They can go back to the trading well once more to speak with the Atlanta Hawks about veteran point guard Jeff Teague.
The intriguing part about adding veteran Jeff Teague to this lineup is that he becomes the veteran presence on the floor, but his arrival would also accelerate his role to his strengths. You see, Teague has never been a pass-first point guard, and will challenge any defense to stop him before he considers sharing the ball with a teammate. That’s not to say he makes his living on volume shooting, but simply that he keeps defenses honest.
The point guard is dealing with the harsh reality that he is not the future of the Atlanta Hawks future. Reports have him selling his Atlanta home, a posh 4,325 square feet posh condo, now. You know that the 76ers have been linked to the Atlanta Hawk point guard, and the face of another sweep at the hands of the Cavaliers, we have already contemplated his arrival to the Philadelphia 76ers via trade.
The veteran Atlanta Hawk point guard averaged 16.8 points and 6.9 assists per game during the critical stretch from Feb. 26 through April 9. And during Atlanta’s first-round series against the Boston Celtics, Teague has led the Hawks in both scoring (19.7 ppg) and assists (7.7 apg) while shooting 54.5 percent on two-pointers and 90.9 percent from the free-throw line.
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But it appears the Hawks are now ready to move on, and that creates a perfect opportunity for the Philadelphia 76ers to move in. Teague, Ingram, Simmons, Saric, and Embiid. The cost? Jahlil Okafor and the Los Angeles Lakers protected 1st round pick for Ingram, plus the pair of late first round picks and Jerami Grant for Teague.
That’s a helluva lineup folks.