Hawks continue to explore options in advance of trade deadline, per report

Trade rumblings continue to swirl around the Atlanta Hawks following back-to-back losses to the Orlando Magic. The Hawks currently sit at 30-24 on the season and in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings but have failed to show any consistency throughout the season.

ESPN.com's Kevin Arnovitz and Brian Windhorst report that the team continues to explore its options in advance of the trade deadline. Per the report, the discussions center around free agent to be Al Horford, point guard Jeff Teague and also note that Kyle Korver has drawn some interest from other teams.

The Hawks won't deny they're tackling the difficult exercise of determining whether to forge ahead with the current core or to disassemble the roster in an effort to retool for the future. Sources close to the organization emphasize that if the Hawks become active in the next week, it will not be to "blow it up," but rather an attempt to exchange their existing players for commensurate, if younger, talent.

Horford has been the team's centerpiece and will be a highly sought-after commodity this summer. The report indicates that the Hawks struggles this season have placed some doubt in the front office as to whether it is smart to give Horford a max deal that will keep under contract through age 35. They go on to point out that teams like Boston, Denver and Orlando are teams that could be interested in making a move for Horford. It remains to be seen what those teams would be willing to part with for what could amount to a two-month rental of Horford.

The Teague rumors have been in place for a while now. Dennis Schroder is seemingly waiting in the wings for his opportunity to lead the club. Arnovitz and Windhorst report that the Pacers inquired about Teague and offered George Hill. It seems more likely that the Hawks would look for help on the wing rather than dealing Teague for another point guard.

In the end, it appears the Hawks are doing exactly what they should be doing. The team has underperformed to this point and it probably isn't a wise move to wait around for them to flip the proverbial switch. If they think they may lose Horford for nothing or aren't interesting in meeting his demands, then they should be looking to reclaim some value at the deadline. Same with Teague and anyone on the roster for that matter.

It isn't uncommon for teams to be exploring their options at this time of the season. Still it feels like this group of Hawks players might be coming to a crossroads.