NBA Trade Rumors: 10 Teams That Should Trade For Jeff Teague
5. Denver Nuggets
Between Danilo Gallinari and Sixth Man of the Year candidate Will Barton, is it possible that the Denver Nuggets are set at the small forward position? If so, they might consider throwing their name into the Jeff Teague sweepstakes by dangling the injured Wilson Chandler.
Now, Chandler hasn’t played a single game this season and probably won’t the rest of the way as he recovers from a hip injury. But when healthy, Ill Will is a terrific two-way player and would easily be a superior starting option on the wing over Bazemore and Sefolosha. Last season he averaged 13.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game on 34.2 percent shooting from three-point range.
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If the Hawks ponied up for Horford this summer, they’d be looking at a potential starting five of Schroder, Kyle Korver, Chandler, Millsap and Horford in 2016-17. That’s a lineup that can make life in the East more interesting for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
From the Nuggets’ perspective, trading Chandler after re-signing him to a four-year, $46 million extension last summer would be an unfortunate turn of events, but they’d be trading an injured player for a quality point guard in Teague.
With Emmanuel Mudiay noticeably struggling in his first NBA season, Teague could supplant him in the starting lineup until the rookie is ready, with Teague serving as a superior mentor to the 34-year-old Jameer Nelson. Trading Chandler would also ensure there’s plenty of minutes for both Gallo and Barton on the wing moving forward.
Could the Nuggets do better in a Wilson Chandler trade than a point guard who would eventually be surpassed in the starting lineup? Probably. But Teague might be able to aid Mudiay’s rocky start to his NBA career, and it’s not like Chandler is a necessity anymore anyway.
Next: No. 4