A rumored trade swap involving Jeff Teague and Nerlens Noel made its way into the NBA consciousness on Thursday, and now, additional details are emerging as to how the deal might work. The initial buzz, reported by The Vertical, included only the names of Teague and Noel, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer adds some clarity to the talks between the Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers.
In addition to confirming the "multi-player trade talks", Pompey throws out two names from the Philly side of things:
Sixers shooting guard Nik Stauskas and/or small forward Robert Covington could be included in the deal, according to a source.
Stauskas, though still only 22 years old, has been a "bust" to this point after landing as a lottery pick of the Sacramento Kings in 2014. His (theoretical) shooting ability would be attractive in Mike Budenholzer's system, however, and Covington is a career 36% shooter from three-point range that acted as arguably Philadelphia's best and most consistent perimeter player over the course of the 2015-2016 season.
Pompey's report does throw a dash of cold water on the proceedings, in that he mentions that the Sixers have discussed Noel and center Jahlil Okafor with "at least 15 teams" in the NBA. This could indicate that talks are still far away from crossing the finish line with the Hawks.
It should be noted that Atlanta could be sending additional ammunition -- draft picks, etc. -- to Philadelphia as a part of the deal and specifics are hard to come by. Still, Covington and Stauskas would be interesting assets moving forward for the Hawks if the deal came to light as rumored. Stay tuned.