Former Atlanta guard back with team he played for from 2009-16
The Atlanta Hawks have brought back a familiar face, reuniting with a former All-Star guard from the franchise’s past.
According to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Atlanta traded Allen Crabbe to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for guard-forward Treveon Graham and former Hawks point guard Jeff Teague. Both organizations officially announced the trade Thursday afternoon.
Teague previously spent seven seasons with the Hawks from 2009-10 through 2015-16 and earned his lone All-Star selection during the 2014-15 campaign after averaging 15.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game.
Teague has averaged 13.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 6.1 assists this season with Minnesota while playing in 34 games, including 13 starts. During his previous stint in Atlanta, he posted career averages of 11.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists across 439 games (305 starts) and currently ranks fifth in franchise history with 2,671 assists. He is expected to take on a backup role behind Hawks star Trae Young, who sits third in the NBA in scoring at 29.1 points per game and fourth in assists at 8.5 per contest.
Atlanta originally moved on from Teague during the 2016 offseason, sending him to the Indiana Pacers in a three-team trade that also involved the Utah Jazz acquiring George Hill while the Hawks landed Taurean Prince. A year later, Teague signed a reported three-year, $57 million contract with the Timberwolves as Minnesota looked to strengthen its playoff chances.
Minnesota was aggressive that offseason, also signing veteran forward Taj Gibson and trading for All-Star wing Jimmy Butler. Although the moves helped the Timberwolves reach the playoffs, their postseason run ended quickly with a first-round sweep by the Houston Rockets in 2018. The team’s momentum later unraveled after Butler requested a trade early in the 2018-19 season, with Minnesota falling from a 47-35 record to 36-46 the following year.
Graham had become a consistent contributor in Minnesota’s rotation, averaging 5.2 points in 20.1 minutes per game. The undrafted wing has now been with three different teams in four seasons. Crabbe also served in a reserve role for Atlanta, averaging 5.1 points in 18.6 minutes per game.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Smith, this trade could be the first of several moves for both franchises. The Hawks have struggled this season, holding the NBA’s worst record in the Eastern Conference at 9-32, while the Timberwolves sit at 15-25 and 12th in the Western Conference, 3.5 games behind the Memphis Grizzlies for the final playoff spot.
Teague, Crabbe and Graham are all set to become unrestricted free agents this offseason. Atlanta also has several other expiring deals on the roster, including Chandler Parsons and Evan Turner, both of whom could attract interest on the trade market, according to Smith.
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