Three former All-Stars that helped the Atlanta Hawks win 60 games and reach the Eastern Conference Finals last season might be gone before the trade deadline on Feb. 18.
According to ESPN, the Hawks are having "serious internal discussions" regarding the team's future and core players center Al Horford, forward Kyle Korver, and point guard Jeff Teague.
The Hawks organization will also view the team as a "fringe contender" if it fails to repeat what was accomplished during the 2014–15 season, sources said, according to ESPN's report.
Unlike last season when they dominated the East and were legitimate title contenders, the Hawks are doing enough to remain in the upper half of the standings this season, currently fourth in the conference at 30–24.
Because of this, Horford, Korver, and Teague became possible trade pieces for the Hawks who are looking to reclaim their lost glory from the previous year.
Horford is still playing great for Atlanta, averaging 15.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game. However, the 29-year-old center is in the last year of his existing pact with the Hawks which presents two options for them. One is to re-sign him to a hefty deal following the season, or ship him to another team before the deadline to get something in return while he still has value.
There is ample interest in the league for a quality center like Horford, who is a veteran starter and can impact a team immediately.
Teague is also another potential trade player, and because of the minor decline in his performance this season is on the trade rumor mill for some time now.
Teams searching for backcourt help like the New York Knicks can inquire about Teague, who belongs to the present group of point guards who are not just playmakers but are prolific scorers as well.
Meanwhile, Korver being linked to trade rumors is a bit surprising since the veteran shooter is a leader to the Hawks. Among the three, the 34-year-old point guard is the one unlikely to leave, but his shooting prowess is drawing interest from other teams.
